Suspect arrested in connection with multiple South Bay air-rifle shootings
SAN JOSE -- Police in San Jose on Wednesday confirmed the recent arrest of a suspect wanted in connection with seven pellet-gun shootings in the South Bay since mid-April.
San Jose police were investigating three separate assault with a deadly weapon incidents that happened on June 10, 2022, in three separate San Jose locations, All three victims were struck by a lead pellet fired from a high-powered air rifle in the span of about 45 minutes. The following day, a fourth victim was struck by a pellet.
During the ensuing investigation, detectives determined there were three additional incidents between April 14th, 2022, and June 15th, 2022, bringing the total number of victims to seven. Six of the shootings happened in San Jose and one occurred in Campbell.
The victims ranged in age from 9 years old to 56 years old and included a 15-year-old. Six out of the seven victims were female. In all of the incidents, the victims were struck with high-velocity projectiles. In multiple cases, doctors were unable to remove the projectiles from the victims due to the inherent risk the procedure posed.
An exhaustive investigation that found the Campbell and San Jose Police Departments collaborating with the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office developed information that implicated 38-year-old Campbell resident Nicholas Montoya as the primary suspect in the shootings. Information included a unique suspect vehicle description as well as evidence seized through search warrants.
On Tuesday, the San José Police Department's Covert Response Unit found Montoya at his residence in the 200 block of Beverly Court in Campbell and took him into custody. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office is charging him with 7 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and assault causing great bodily injury.
Anyone with additional information regarding these air-rifle shootings is asked to contact Detective Martinez #4533 or Detective Tong #4774 of the San José Police Department's Assaults Unit via email: 4533@sanjoseca.gov and/or 4774@sanjoseca.gov or at 408-537-1353.