3 men charged in Canal area shooting case
Two men linked to an alleged gang shooting in San Rafael last week have been charged with attempted murder, and a third man was charged with harboring, concealing and aiding the suspects.
San Rafael residents Edwin Mazariegos Rodriguez, 22, and Yordan Gonzalez Acevedo, 18, made their initial court appearances Tuesday in Marin County Superior Court. They delayed entering a plea while defense attorneys reviewed the case, said Tyler Hicks, the public defender representing Rodriguez.
Their arraignment is set for Aug. 10, the same day that the third suspect, Ivan PechPinzon, who has been released on bail, is set to appear in court. Pech-Pinzon, 35, is also a San Rafael resident.
The suspects are also being charged with committing the alleged crime in association with a street gang with the intent to promote, further and assist criminal conduct by gang members.
The shooting happened Thursday morning on Novato Street in the Canal neighborhood, police said. Police arrived to find a victim lying in the street with a gunshot wound to his back. He was transported to a hospital and was expected to survive. A police department spokesperson did not know his condition Tuesday.
Police said two victims were walking on Novato Street when they were confronted by Rodriguez, who is the suspected gunman, and Acevedo.
The victims ran around a building when Rodriguez pulled out a handgun, yelled out a victim’s name and fired two rounds, striking one victim and missing the other, police said.
Pech-Pinzon is accused of hiding the suspects in his apartment nearby. After several hours, the suspects surrendered to police.
Rodriguez and Acevedo are being held without bail.
The attack was one of two shootings in a matter of days in San Rafael. Police are also investigating a suspected gang shooting that killed two men and injured four others on Friday night in downtown San Rafael.
Phillip Reginald Hill Jr., 27, of Vallejo and Javel Lamar Wiggins Jr., 24, of Stockton, have been identified as the dead victims.
San Rafael police said Tuesday that still no suspects have been identified, but released no additional details. The police spokesperson said investigators do not think the two shootings are connected.