Weekend crimes keep Lodi police busy
Shootings, fights, pursuit and stabbing among handful of incidents
In a busy weekend for Lodi police, officers broke up a fight that resulted in a stabbing, investigated two shootings, a carjacking and a report of a robbery, and arrested a man who punched an officer in the face while drunk.
It all began on Friday evening when officers broke up a fight at Gary’s Lounge at 10:05 p.m. One of the parties involved in the fight was stabbed multiple times, according to the Lodi Police Department. The victim was transported to the hospital but is in stable condition, police said. The suspect, 38-year-old Raymon Puentes of Stockton, was arrested and booked into the Lodi City Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and a weapons violation.
That day police also investigated a shooting in the 100 block of South School Street at 1:58 a.m. Police discovered that a suspect was only firing his gun into the air and no one was injured.
On Saturday at 3:07 a.m., Officer Ryan LaRue came across a pickup truck near Stockton and Elm streets which was reported stolen in a carjacking in Thornton earlier that day. When LaRue approached the vehicle, the driver, Jesus Arellano-Flores, fled on foot, leaving a 12-gauge shotgun in the bed of the truck, police said.
LaRue deployed his canine partner who was able to locate and apprehend Flores, who was hiding in a nearby backyard. Flores was treated for a dog bite and booked into the Lodi City Jail on suspicion of being in possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Police also received reports of a drive-by shooting on Saturday evening at 7:58 p.m. in the 00 block of South Garfield Street. One person was struck by gunfire and suffered non-life threatening injuries. However, the victim did not cooperate with officers in the investigation.
That evening at 11:23 p.m., officers also responded to a report of a robbery at the car wash on Main Street and Lodi Avenue. The victim had been confronted by two suspects, one of which was armed with a handgun, police said. The suspects struck the victim with unknown objects and took his cell phone. Officers are
continuing to investigate this incident and no suspects have been identified or caught yet.
An officer was also punched in the face on Saturday at 11:45 p.m. The suspect, 36-year-old Randy Reed, was in the process of being booked for public intoxication when he punched the officer, police said. The officer was not injured, but Reed will likely face additional charges for battery on a police officer.