Manteca shooting victim was Modesto attorney

The man shot to death outside a Taco Bell in Manteca on Tuesday night was a Modesto attorney.

Stephen Cain, 60, lived and worked in Modesto. He was a personal-injury attorney specializing in auto accidents, according to his website.

A motive has not yet been determined for the shooting, but Manteca police Sgt. Mike Aguilar said detectives are investigating whether Cain’s profession played a role in his death. “There is nothing on face value indicating that there was a connection, but they are obviously going to explore all avenues,” Aguilar said.

Cain had just gotten food from the Taco Bell on Daniels Street near Highway 120 Tuesday night and was in the parking lot when he was shot multiple times near his vehicle. Bystanders on scene started CPR, which was continued by officers and medics, but Cain died at the scene. His family could not be reached for comment.

The suspect ran toward the highway and South Airport Way following the shooting, where he brandished a firearm to carjack a woman in a Mercedes who was at a stop sign on the highway off ramp. The woman was not injured.

Before dispatchers could notify other agencies to be on the lookout for the stolen Mercedes, a Ripon police officer spotted it heading south on Jack Tone Road. The officer didn’t know the driver was armed or that 15 minutes prior had allegedly shot a man; but the Mercedes had expired registration, so he followed it.

The officer caught up with the Mercedes in a residential neighborhood off Jack Tone Road, where the suspect, 19-year-old Angel Israel Miranda, had parked the car. Miranda ran from the officer, who caught up and tackled him about 50 yards from the vehicle.

Aguilar said detectives are working to determine if Cain and Miranda knew each other and what contact they had prior to the shooting. He said detectives are reviewing surveillance video from the Taco Bell and other nearby businesses.

Miranda was booked on suspicion of murder, carjacking and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

This story was originally published May 4, 2017 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Manteca shooting victim was Modesto attorney."