Freeway Shooter Suspect to be Arraigned

A 24-year-old man accused of firing a weapon in seemingly random freeway attacks, wounding a motorist and piercing the bodies of several moving vehicles from National City to Del Mar, is scheduled to be arraigned in a downtown courtroom Thursday on several charges, including attempted murder.

Enrique Ayon of Lancaster was captured in Los Angeles County late Tuesday morning, nearly 24 hours after he allegedly opened fire with a high-powered pistol from inside a northbound 2006 Chevrolet Malibu at at least four locations on Interstate 805 and I-5 across San Diego County.

Ayon was booked into jail on suspicion of attempted murder and other charges and was held without bail, pending arraignment.

Shortly before the car-to-car shooting rampage began, the suspect allegedly was involved in a hit-and-run crash near the U.S.-Mexico border.

A few minutes later, at about 10:30 a.m. Monday, the first firearm assault occurred on northbound Interstate 805, near East Plaza Boulevard, San Diego police Lt. Darryl Hoover said. At least one bullet hit a car, but no one was hurt.

A short time later, gunfire erupted again on the same freeway at Mesa College Drive in Serra Mesa, wounding a 26-year-old driver, Hoover said. Medics took the victim to a trauma center for treatment of a non-life-threatening wound to his thigh.

Within the next quarter-hour or so, two more shootings occurred on I-805 near State Route 163, where a California Highway Patrol officer was assisting a motorist, and on northbound Interstate 5 in the area of Del Mar Heights Road, according to Hoover. No one was injured in those attacks.

None of the victims reported having had any type of contact or communication with the driver of the Malibu before coming under fire, according to Hoover.

 --City News Service