Man Shot, Robbed of Wallet While Sitting in Parked Van

WATSONVILLE, CA - A 20-year-old man was shot and robbed of his wallet while sitting inside a parked vehicle Tuesday night in Watsonville, police said Wednesday.

Officers responded to a report of an armed robbery in the area of Madison and Stanford streets shortly after 11 a.m., police Sgt. Tony Figueroa said.

The victim informed police that he was shot during an armed robbery, Figueroa said.

Responding officers met with the victim, who was found inside his car suffering from a single gunshot wound to his right lower leg, Figueroa said.

He told officers he was sitting in the driver’s seat of his van parked in the area when a man approached him, the sergeant said.

The dark-clothed man tapped a firearm on the driver’s side window of the van and tried to cover his face with a brown turtleneck, Figueroa said.

The suspect then opened the door and demanded the victim’s money, Figueroa said.

The 20-year-old gave the suspect his wallet and the suspect shot him before fleeing in a black BMX-style bicycle last seen heading north on Madison Street toward Prospect Street, according to Figueroa.

The victim was transported to a hospital to be treated for his injury, which was not considered life-threatening, Figueroa said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the police crime tip line at (831) 728-3544 or investigation bureau at (831) 768-3352.

--Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock