Young man accused of shooting friends’ homes in West Covina

WEST COVINA — A drunken 18-year-old West Covina man shot the homes of two friends he had been in a dispute with before being arrested early Sunday, police said.
Gabriel Ray Sanchez was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, shooting at an inhabited dwelling and making criminal threats in connection with the incident, which began shortly after 2 a.m., according to West Covina police officials and county booking records.
He had been involved in a fight with two friends last week, and threatened to “get them back,” West Covina police Lt. Alan Henley said.
He followed through on his threat early Sunday, when he shot through the bedroom window of one of the friends in the 3000 block of East Pinefalls Drive, missing the young man inside, the lieutenant said.
While police spoke with the young man believed to have been targeted in the shooting, Henley said, the victim explained the situation and told officers they might want to check on the nearby home of his friend in the 3100 block of East Levelglen Drive, who had also been threatened by Sanchez.
When police arrived at the Levelglen Drive home, they spotted Sanchez’s car parked out front, he said. Sanchez was crouched down inside, hiding.
Officers took Sanchez, who appeared to be drunk, into custody and found a .22-caliber rifle in his car, the lieutenant said.
As officers investigated the scene, “They found out he had actually just shot at the house,” he said. No one inside was injured.
According to county booking records, Sanchez was being held in lieu of $1 million bail pending his initial court appearance.
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