Crime & Safety
Banning Man Accused Of Shooting Woman In Freeway Attack
The defendant is being held at the Smith Correctional Facility on $2 million bail.
BANNING, CA — A young man accused of shooting a woman in a vehicle- to-vehicle attack on Interstate 10 in the Banning Pass was charged with attempted murder and other offenses, authorities said Friday.
James Charles Pitchford III, 18, of Banning, was arrested Saturday night following a California Highway Patrol investigation into the alleged premeditated attack that occurred earlier that day.
Along with attempted murder, Pitchford was charged with shooting at an occupied vehicle and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
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He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Wednesday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Dwight Moore, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for May 22 at the Banning Justice Center.
The judge set Pitchford's bail at $2 million. He's being held at the Smith Correctional Facility.
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According to the CHP, shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, the victim, identified only as a woman, was riding in the back of a Chevrolet Suburban in the middle lane on westbound I-10, near Highland Springs Avenue.
The CHP stated that as the SUV approached the west end of Beaumont at an unconfirmed speed, a dark-colored sedan in the fast lane pulled next to the Chevy, after which a passenger "leaned out of the (car)" and opened fire, resulting in at least one shot going through the SUV's right rear window.
The victim was struck in her arm, and the sedan raced away, according to investigators. The Chevy's driver immediately exited the freeway, stopping at a gas station to call 911.
The victim was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment of the non-life-threatening wound and is in recovery, the CHP stated. No one else was injured.
A law enforcement search of the area did not lead to discovery of the suspect vehicle. However, in the ensuing daylong investigation, the CHP's Major Crimes Unit was able to identify the alleged shooter as Pitchford.
He was taken into custody without incident Saturday night on East Ramsey Street in Banning.
A possible motive for the alleged attack was not provided. However, court documents did specify the alleged attempted murder was premeditated.
Pitchford has no documented prior convictions in adult court. Possible juvenile court filings were not listed.
