For almost than a month the Manteca Police have been looking for the person they believed was responsible for an incident outside of the Rusty Hook Bar on East Yosemite Avenue at Powers Avenue back in late August.
And after a Manteca Police Department SWAT raid on his residence, the suspect – a 30-year-old that police say fired a gun in the air outside of the bar after an altercation – turned himself into the authorities to answer to the charges.
Rafael Villalvazo III, 30, of Stockton, was arrested on September 24 and charged with a host of felonies being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm as a gang member, being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm and discharge of a firearm in a negligent manner.
According to police, the suspect reportedly fired a gun into the air outside of the bar and then climbed into a vehicle that left the scene of the incident in late August. A description of the vehicle and a license plate was provided to police, and the Manteca Police Street Crimes Unit investigated the complaint which led to the attempted SWAT intervention on September 19, and the suspect came into the Manteca Police Department on his own with a lawyer on September 24 to surrender to authorities.
The shooting outside of the bar was the first of two that took place in Manteca’s city limits over the course of the same month-long period. This past weekend Manteca Police responded to a call at Chuck’s Place – on Historical Plaza Way inside of Spreckel’s Park – shortly before 2 a.m. on Sunday morning after calls began to come in that shots had been fired in the parking lot.
When officers arrived, no suspects were on scene and they discovered that nobody was injured but did find a number of spent shell casings in the parking lot that were marked for evidence as witnesses were interviewed.
That case is still ongoing, and anybody with any information about the potential identities of the person or persons responsible for firing into the air is encouraged to contact the Manteca Police Department at 209.249.8401.
To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
