Suspect In 2 Napa Shootings Arraigned On Multiple Charges: DA

NAPA COUNTY, CA — Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced Friday that charges have been filed against the suspect in two shootings Wednesday morning in Napa that left two men hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Nicholas Angelo Zazzarino, 28, of Napa, was arraigned in Napa County Superior Court with two counts of attempted willful, deliberate and premeditated murder (against two victims), two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm (against two victims), one count of criminal threats (against a third victim) and one count of unauthorized entry of a dwelling house, Haley stated in a news release.

Zazzarino, also of Central Valley, is accused of shooting a 23-year-old Napa man in the abdomen outside Starbucks, 1200 Lincoln Ave., at about 8:22 a.m. Wednesday. As police were investigating that shooting, a second man, this time a 66-year-old, was shot in the chest at about 9:53 a.m. in the 3300 block of MacBeth Street.

Both shooting victims were rushed to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, where they were said to be recovering after undergoing emergency surgeries.

Zazzarino was arrested without incident near the site of the second shooting, according to Napa police Capt. Pat Manzer.

Represented by the Napa County Public Defender, Zazzarino made a court appearance Friday but did not enter a plea, the DA said.

The criminal complaint filed Friday against Zazzarino also includes two separate special allegations for personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury, personal use of firearm, and infliction of great bodily injury, Haley said.

Zazzarino remains jailed without bail with his next court appearance scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 25 for "additional arraignment," Haley said.

According to Haley, Zazzarino faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted of the crimes.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed possible motives in the shootings. Police believe Zazzarino arrived at the Starbucks near Napa High School with a group of people that morning, and that the young man shot outside the coffee shop may have been an acquaintance of Zazzarino's who was among that group, Napa Valley Register reported.

The second man shot in west Napa "just may be a very poor innocent victim," police told the newspaper.

Detectives believe the victim of the second shooting was driving away from his residence when he saw Zazzarino acting suspiciously near a neighbor's fence and stopped to ask Zazzarino what he was doing in the area.

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Zazzarino and the man exchanged a few words before Zazzarino allegedly shot the victim once in the chest and ran off, Manzer said.

Officers located Zazzarino after a resident on Baywood Lane called police to report he was following a man who had just entered his home. Zazzarino was allegedly found in possession of a semi-automatic handgun, the captain said.

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