Two teens arrested in Redlands for attempted murder after altercation involving ghost gun
Officers located the teens, ages 14 and 16, in a nearby apartment shortly after the incident
REDLANDS, Calif. — Two teenage boys were arrested Wednesday night on suspicion of attempted murder, conspiracy and assault with a deadly weapon after an altercation involving a firearm in a Redlands neighborhood.
Officers responded to multiple 911 calls around 8:30 p.m. July 2 reporting shots fired and a victim down in the 1000 block of Lombard Drive, according to Redlands police. When police arrived, they found an adult man with visible injuries, though no gunshot wounds. He was treated at the scene by Redlands Fire Department paramedics and later transported to a hospital.
The victim told police he had been sitting in a vehicle with a woman when two juveniles approached and began assaulting him. During the struggle, one of the teens allegedly pulled out a handgun. The victim attempted to wrestle it away, and the weapon discharged twice before the suspects fled, leaving the gun behind, police said.
Police recovered the firearm, which was identified as a non-serialized “ghost gun,” along with spent shell casings, clothing, an iPhone, and jewelry believed to belong to the suspects. Officers located the teens—ages 14 and 16—in a nearby apartment and took them into custody. No bullet strikes or other injuries were reported.
Armed Robbery and String of Auto Thefts Under Investigation
Redlands police are also investigating an armed robbery at the Verizon store at 625 Orange St., reported Monday afternoon, June 30. According to police, the suspect entered the store, demanded merchandise, and kicked open a storage room door before fleeing with a $1,000 iPhone. The suspect was last seen running east on Pearl Avenue and north on 6th Street.
Earlier that morning, officers responded to a report of a stolen 2019 Kia Optima from the 1100 block of Cero Court. During the investigation, police located a 2016 Hyundai Sonata nearby that had also been reported stolen from the 200 block of Carrie Lane. Surveillance footage showed a third stolen vehicle, a 2018 Kia Sportage, leaving the area around the same time. The thefts are under investigation.
DUI Arrest on Railroad Tracks
Shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, June 29, officers arrested a driver whose car became stuck on the railroad tracks near Colton Avenue and Redlands Boulevard. The man was found to be driving under the influence, police said. His passenger, who was also intoxicated and unable to care for himself, was taken into custody as well. Metrolink train service was delayed until the vehicle was removed from the tracks.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681, ext. 1. Non-emergency crimes can be reported online at www.cityofredlands.org/report-crime or through the City of Redlands 311 app.
