CHP Makes First Arrest After Rash Of East Bay Freeway Shootings
PITTSBURG (CBS SF) -- A man has been arrested in connection with a recent freeway shooting on Highway 4 in Pittsburg last week, according to authorities.
The California Highway Patrol announced Wednesday that they have arrested McCoy Tiasawan.
CHP allege he opened fire on a car on Highway 4 in Pittsburg last Friday. A man, woman and child were inside that car. Nobody was hurt.
Tiasawan has been charged with attempted homicide. Authorities believe this was a gang-related, targeted attack.
KPIX has been reporting for months about a rash of shootings on East Bay freeways.
This is the first and so far only arrest for any of the East Bay freeway shootings.
There have been 16 freeway shootings since last November on Highway 4, Interstates 80 and 580.
CHP and police believe most of the shootings are gang-related.
While authorities can't confirm if the shootings are all connected, police have previously noted that some of the shootings that took place could be interrelated.
CHP Lt. Jason Reardon said, "These things are not random. We know they're targeted, but we are out there with our allied members to let gang members know this will not be tolerated."
The CHP says most of the gangs involved come from the Richmond area and that the violence spills over to the highways. So to stop it, a task force starts at the source.
The CHP has joined forces with 15 other federal, state and local agencies to make that happen. So far there have been three of these strategic operations with marked patrols, undercover officers, canines and a helicopter.
In the last 90 days they've taken 29 illegal guns off the streets and made 69 felony gang-related arrests.