Downtown Napa Shooting: Police Identify Suspect

NAPA, CA— Napa police are seeking the public's help in locating a man wanted on suspicion of shooting two men early Friday outside a downtown bar. Detectives worked throughout the day and night Friday, and were able to identify the suspect as 43-year-old Napa resident Ruben Villafan, Napa police Lt. Gary Pitkin said Monday.

Further, Napa PD secured a $1-million Ramey warrant for Villafan's arrest, Pitkin said.

Police responded around 1 a.m. Friday, Dec. 13, to the shooting in the 900 block of Main Street, outside of Downtown Joe's Brewery and Restaurant. One man was found suffering from gunshot wounds at the scene, and was rushed by ambulance to Queen of the Valley Hospital.

A second man suffering gunshot wounds then showed up at the same hospital, police said.

The two men, 24 and 33 years old, are Napa residents but police are not disclosing their names.

Both are expected to recover from their injuries, Pitkin said.

Police said the shooting may have stemmed from an earlier argument between two groups of people at the bar.

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the downtown area, and found that the shooting was captured by one of the police department's surveillance cameras, Pitkin said.

Additional surveillance footage from a business in the 500 block of Main Street showed the suspect running along the Riverfront Promenade shortly after the shooting, the lieutenant said.

"SWAT teams from the Napa Police Department and Napa Sheriff’s Department served search warrants at two apartments Friday night looking for Villafan and evidence related to the case," Pitkin said. "Villafan was not at either location and remains outstanding."

Villafan is 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighs 180 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. A photo provided by Napa police shows he wears black-rimmed glasses and has a large tattoo on his neck.

Police are asking anyone with information about Villafan's whereabouts to call the Napa Police Department at 707-257- 9223. The lead detective on the case, Josh Toney, can be reached directly at 707-257-9507 or JToney@cityofnapa.org.