MENDOCINO Co., 3/9/20 — A Covelo man allegedly shot his neighbor in the hand earlier this month, after mistakenly firing at her house. The story is somewhat convoluted, but in brief: The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office alleges that Ira Reyes, 34 of Covelo, fired a shot within his own home and that the bullet passed through his wall, then his neighbor’s wall eventually striking her middle finger and injuring her.
Reyes then allegedly went to his neighbor’s house to apologize to the 20 year old woman who had been struck. He had apparently believed he was firing the gun at someone else. Over the course of some days a search warrant was obtained and a search conducted of Reyes’ residence in Covelo, finding a bullet hole and casing. On another day a pursuit after Reyes was made be he eluded law enforcement. On yet another day he was found and arrested. He was charged withe being a felon in possession of a firearm, shooting a dwelling, and a assault with a firearm.
Here is the press release:
DATE: “March 9, 2020”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Incident Number:
2020-5736
Crime/Incident:
246 PC (Shoot at Inhabited Dwelling/Vehicle)
245(a)(2) PC (Assault with a Firearm)
29800(a)(1) PC (Felon in Possession of a Firearm)
Location:
76000 block of Henderson Lane in Covelo, CA
Date of Incident:
02-27-2020
Time:
5:00 PM
Victim(s):
Adult Female (20 years-old from Covelo, CA)
Suspect(s):
Ira Reyes (34 year-old male from Covelo, CA)
Written By:
Sgt. Mike Dygert #1168Synopsis:
On 02-28-2020 at about 10:22 PM Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a local hospital as a person had been admitted to the emergency room because of a gunshot wound.Deputies contacted an adult female and learned on 02-27-2020 at about 5:00 PM she was lying down listening to music in a bedroom at a residence in the 76000 block of Henderson Road in Covelo, California.
The adult female was listening to music when she heard gunfire coming from outside the residence.
The adult female then realized she had been struck by a bullet on her right middle finger. After she had been shot, Ira Reyes ran into residence and was apologetic for having shot her.
Reportedly, Reyes believed he was shooting at someone else inside his residence thinking they were trying to reclaim a firearm he had previously stolen from them.
On 02-29-2020 Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies obtained a search warrant for Reyes’ residence and served the search warrant in the early morning hours.
Deputies discovered a bullet hole in the residence that perforated a bedroom wall and located expended shell casings to a firearm. Reyes was not at the location at the time of the search warrant service.
On 03-05-2020 at about 8:30 PM a Round Valley Tribal Police Officers were involved in a vehicle pursuit in the Covelo area.
The Round Valley Tribal Police Officers chased the vehicle to the west end of FootHill Boulevard and when the vehicle came to a stop, they observed suspect Reyes exit the passenger side of the vehicle fleeing into the wooded hills near a location called Little Valley.
The Round Valley Tribal Police Officers observed Reyes throwing a backpack on the ground that contained a semi-automatic pistol inside.
Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the area and searched for Reyes however he was not located. The Tribal Police Officers informed the Deputies of their observations and Deputies collected the found firearm as evidence.On 03-07-2020 at about 9:00 PM Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies received information that Reyes was driving a sports utility vehicle and the vehicle was seen parked at Barnes Lane just north of Mendocino Pass Road in Covelo.
Deputies covertly approached the vehicle and contacted Reyes who was inside the vehicle. Deputies arrested Reyes for the listed charges without incident.
On the vehicle seat where Reyes was sitting was a loaded semi-automatic pistol that was the same caliber as the shell casings found at his (Reyes’) residence. Reyes was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing any firearms.
Reyes was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on the listed charges where he was to be held in lieu of $500,000.00 bail.
Approved by:
MCSO
Captain Gregory L. Van Patten #1184