PRUNEDALE, Calif.- The Monterey County Sheriff's Deputy shot at in the Prunedale area Wednesday evening, is okay. But she believes, she was the intended target. It's new information on the shooting we first told you about as breaking news on Wednesday evening. It prompted a three-hour investigation, shutting down an entire Prunedale neighborhood. But so far, no evidence of a bullet has been found.
Several roads were closed because of the crime scene at Meridian and Valley road. Meridian was closed from Castroville Boulevard to Archer and Castroville Boulevard was closed from about Highway 156 to Del Monte Farms.
Sheriff's deputies tell us a veteran female deputy was doing a routine patrol through the neighborhood, when the back window of her squad car shattered. Officers have cleared up the scene and the roads are back open now.
Karla Jones said she moved this rural neighborhood, to get away from violence like this crime scene, which was right in her backyard.
"Scary because you know I think we all moved out to the country to get away from the big city, the rat race and the shootings and you know we feel comfortable here," Jones said.
The sheriff's department said after the deputy heard the glass shatter, she immediately left the car and called for back up. Deputies said she wasn't hit and isn't hurt. On Wednesday night she spoke with investigators working to piece the crime scene back together. Jones said she saw an army of SWAT officers searching her neighborhood for any suspects, witnesses or evidence with all the big guns drawn.
"They all put their jackets on and they all had their big artillery out, headed out to find out what was going on," Jones said.
Traffic backed up during rush hour because of all the closed roads, delaying drivers from getting home.
"You know you come out here in the country and think you're somewhat immune to it, but I guess you're not," said Ronnie Jones.
Deputies said the squad car will be analyzed by a forensics team, to find out if a bullet was fired.
"It's a shattered window where most of it fell out because of the safety glass. There's not the typical hole that you can see with a bullet. But that doesn't mean it wasn't because most of the window is missing," said Monterey County Sheriff's Deputy Max Houser.
The sheriff's department said it plans to be back out in the neighborhood on Thursday to continue the investigation. Early reports indicated the Deputy was apparently bleeding from her neck.
Responding units set up a perimeter and conducted an extensive search of the area. The search was met with negative results. The Deputy received medical attention at the scene and was released.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to call Detective Matt Davis at 831-755-3805 or the TIP line at 888-833-4847.
