Suspect in fatal shooting during Lake Berryessa brawl identified
The suspect in a fatal shooting that followed a large brawl at Lake Berryessa over the weekend was identified Tuesday morning.
The Napa County Sheriff's Office said 25-year-old Gabriel James Chavez was detained north of the lake following the incident and airlifted to a hospital with unknown injuries. Chavez, an American Canyon resident, has since been arrested and charged with murder and was scheduled for a court appearance later Tuesday.
The Sheriff's Office said it couldn't share Chavez's identity until Tuesday because it could have jeopardized the investigation as it still needed to have witnesses point him out in a lineup.
The shooting Saturday afternoon was preceded by a brawl between two groups of people at the Oak Shores Day Use Area on the western shore of the lake. Deputies who arrived at the "chaotic" scene at the Oak Shores Day Use Area at the lake found multiple people injured including a man who had been shot.
The man who was shot was identified as 39-year-old Andres Fabian Sandoval Garcia of Vallejo. He died at the scene despite deputies administering CPR, the Sheriff's Office said. Three other people were injured after being stabbed or punched, including Chavez.
According to detectives, during the brawl Chavez went to his vehicle to retrieve a gun and shoot Garcia. He then fled but was detained shortly after.
The Sheriff's Office has urged any witnesses or persons with information about the incident to contact the office at (707) 253-4504.