Gunman Convicted of Shooting at Drivers in Del Mar, National City Sentenced

A man who wounded a motorist in a freeway shooting spree two years ago that targeted drivers between National City and Del Mar was sentenced today to consecutive life terms in prison, plus 54 years to life.

Enrique Ayon, 26, was convicted in August of premeditated attempted murder and shooting at an occupied vehicle.

In addition, the defendant pleaded guilty in April to punching jail deputies on three separate occasions.

Superior Court Judge Joan Weber said she could find no reason to run Ayon's life sentences concurrently as suggested by defense attorney Zaki Zehawi, which would give the defendant a chance to be paroled someday.

Weber told Ayon that the way to terrorize a large metropolitan area like San Diego is to randomly shoot at vehicles, leaving motorists feeling like they're trapped in their cars, and creating chaos, as he did.

"You shut this city down by your conduct that day," Weber told the defendant. "I don't know what is causing your violent, unprovoked outbursts."

Zehawi, in comments echoed by Ayon's family, said the defendant was a good person until age 22, when things changed, in part, because of drug use.

"His life went off the tracks," Zehawi told the judge.

On Oct. 3, 2011, Ayon crashed his Chevrolet Malibu through a security gate near the U.S.-Mexico border a day before starting to shoot at motorists on northbound 805 in National City.

Marcus Eagles testified that he was driving north on I-805 near Plaza Boulevard about 10:15 a.m. when the defendant fired at him.

Eagles said Ayon, who was driving alongside him, pointed a gun at him and fired. Eagles said he found a bullet hole in the rear door on the driver's side door after pulling onto the shoulder of the freeway.

"I still think about it," Eagles said in court today.

Shortly after shooting at Eagles, Ayon wounded 26-year-old Demitrous Miller in the thigh in an attack near Mesa College Drive in Serra Mesa.

Ayon also fired a shot near Interstate 805 and state Route 163. A few minutes later, he fired two shots into an ambulance on Interstate 5 near Del Mar.

Ayon was arrested the next day in Los Angeles County.

-- City News Service