(FOX40.COM) — One person is dead and two others remain in the hospital after they were shot by gang members who mistook them for being from a rival gang on the night of Sept. 8, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and family of the victims.
Investigators with the sheriff’s office said the three victims, all in their 20s, were innocent bystanders.
According to the sheriff’s office, the suspects were driving near Gordon Drive and Nina Way when they opened fire on the three victims. The two suspects were arrested nearly a week later.
Fundraiser held for slain victim
The three victims were all cousins and were together the night of the shooting.
The slain victim was Isaiah Vasquez, who worked at Vision Barbering in the Tahoe Park neighborhood. Vasquez also has a daughter on the way, who is expected to be born in less than two weeks.
On Sept. 18, Vasquez’s friends and family held a fundraiser near the barbershop to help cover expenses for the family.
“We wanted to put this together for him. Show that we still have his back, that we support him,” Vision Barbering owner Cisco Chavez told FOX40. “We’re doing this to show his daughter that her dad has her back.”
‘Life is altered for the rest of his life’
The other two victims are expected to survive but have suffered devastating injuries.
Johnny Martinez remains in the hospital, but his family said he’s paralyzed from the waist down and has a 1% chance of walking again.
According to a GoFundMe page, Martinez was shot three times while helping one of his relatives move into his new home. Funds are expected to be used for medical bills, rehabilitation costs, a motorized wheelchair, wheelchair accessibility for home and vehicle and other expenses for his recovery.
“People just hear gang-related stuff and they assume that was…that’s not my son. It’s not my nephews,” Johnny’s mom, Lisa Martinez told FOX40. “This is something that my son didn’t deserve. He’s innocent and now his life is altered for the rest of his life.”
The third cousin, who has not been identified by family, was shot nine times, including in the head, but continues to recuperate at the hospital.
Relatives and friends have been by the family’s side since the shooting happened and they continue to help them navigate through harsh times.
Law enforcement makes arrests after investigation
Detectives from the sheriff’s office said suspects Fernando Zambrano and Luis Camarillo were in the car and allegedly used a high-capacity handgun during the fatal drive-by shooting.
When detectives served a search warrant at one of the suspect’s residences, they said they found five firearms, multiple high-capacity magazines, large amounts of cash and narcotics including fentanyl that were packaged for sale.
During an investigation, 17 shots were detected in the area, but it was traffic cameras and help from the community that led to these arrests.
“We appreciate the community’s cooperation in this incident,” homicide detective Garth Keffer told FOX40.com. “If it weren’t for their assistance, we would not have been able to make this assault possible.”
