By Gina Yarbrough
El Cajon, CA–Four individuals suspected in an armed assault and attempted murder at the Parkway Plaza shopping mall have been arrested, El Cajon police announced.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. Tuesday at Spencer’s, a retail store inside the mall. A 17-year-old male reported being approached and assaulted by four suspects, one of whom brandished a handgun, pointed it at the victim’s head, and appeared to pull the trigger. The gun did not discharge, and all four suspects fled the scene.
Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the store, which confirmed the victim’s account and helped identify the suspects as 19-year-old Abraham Rodriguez, 24-year-old Isidro Vazquez, 23-year-old Jermaine Taylor, and a 16-year-old male juvenile.
Roughly an hour after the incident, investigators located the suspects near Broadway and Ballantyne. Three ran into a nearby apartment complex, while the fourth was found at a nearby business. Officers detained the juvenile after he was seen entering and exiting an apartment. The remaining suspects were taken into custody without incident.
A search of the juvenile’s apartment led to the recovery of two handguns. One of the weapons matched the description of the firearm used in the attack and was found jammed with a chambered round, suggesting a failed discharge. The juvenile, already on probation for prior firearm offenses, was booked into the San Diego County Juvenile Detention Facility on multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy, and weapons violations.
Rodriguez, Vazquez, and Taylor were booked into the San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and conspiracy. Both Rodriguez and Vazquez are also on probation for previous firearm-related convictions.
The motive behind the attack remains under investigation. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the El Cajon Police Department at (619) 579-3311 or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or sdcrimestoppers.org.
