Two teens survive shooting in Victor

VICTOR — Residents along Bruella Road in Victor observed a rare sight Monday night when San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived and closed the street to investigate a shooting.

Deputies responded to the incident at about 8:15 p.m. in the 17000 block of North Bruella Road.

Two boys, 16 and 17, were struck by gunfire. One suffered a life-threatening injury, the Sheriff’s Office said.

However, the victim was taken to an area hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, the Sheriff ’s Office said.

Deputy Andrea Lopez, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff ’s Office, said there are no suspects and no motives at this time.

“A group of people were standing outside along the roadway on Bruella Road,” she said. “A suspect in a dark sedan shot at them and fled northbound on Bruella.”

Victor resident Larry Ebel said the shooting occurred a few doors down from the vineyard located just north of the Bruella Road and Heil Street intersection.

He added it was strange to see a large law enforcement presence, as well as an ambulance, in a town of less than 300 people.

“I’ve been here for 19 years, and nothing like this ever happens here,” he said. “I didn’t hear any shots or sirens, but all of a sudden there were a lot of cops out here. They had Bruella Road closed down for hours.”

One of the last crimes in Victor involving gunfire occurred in 1973, when nine residents were killed by a pair of armed robbers in an Orchard Road home.

Wally and Joann Parkin, who owned what is now the Victor Market, and their children Robert and Lisa, were murdered along with neighbors Richard, Wanda, Debbie and Ricky Earl on Nov. 6 of that year.

Marc Lang, Debbie Earl’s boyfriend, was also killed.

Their killers, Lodi native William Steelman and Doug Gretzler of New York, were arrested in Sacramento the following day and sentenced to life in prison.

They were then extradited to Arizona to stand trial for several murders they committed there, and both were sentenced to death.

Steelman died from health complications while in prison on 1986, and Gretzler was executed in 1998.

Anyone with information about Monday’s shooting is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 209-468-4400.