Shortly into new year, gunfire round goes into occupied room of Ceres home
Just minutes into the new year, a person narrowly escaped injury when a round from a firearm struck a Ceres home and got lodged in an interior wall, police said.
Ab about 12:23 a.m. Thursday, Ceres police officers responded to a report that a home on the 2700 block of Charlotte Avenue had been struck by gunfire moments earlier, the Police Department posted on Facebook.
Officers determined that a single round went through the rear glass door of the residence and then into a wall. No one was hurt, the post says, but “a family member was inside the room where the round entered and narrowly avoided being struck.”
Officers determined the gunfire “likely originated” from a residence in the 2700 block of Joy Avenue. The backyards of homes on Charlotte and Joy abut.
At the suspected home, officers found evidence to support their belief, the Facebook post says, and a search warrant was authorized by a judge.
While executing the warrant, officers recovered a short-barreled rifle and two handguns. Two of the firearms were not registered, and the third was not registered to anyone living at the home.
Suspect Juan Carlos Valencia Diaz, 45, was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County jail. The booking log show he faces charges of assault and battery (maliciously and willfully discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling) and possession of a short-barreled rifle.
The Facebook post did not say whether Diaz is thought to have intentionally fired at the other home or was shooting in celebration of the new year. Questions from The Bee to Ceres police were not immediately answered Thursday night.
Dias remained in custody Thursday night, with bail set at $320,000.
