Man shot dead in Vista; suspects arrested
VISTA, Calif, (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 71-year-old man was shot dead in Vista Friday and two suspects have been arrested in connection to the crime, authorities said.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, a call came in requesting assistance for the Carlsbad Police Department around 8 p.m. after reports of a person down near State Route 78 at the Sycamore Avenue exit and on-ramps in Vista.
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Responding deputies found paramedics giving medical aid to an elderly man who had been shot at least once. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9 p.m., the sheriff’s department said. His identity is being withheld at this time.
Around the same time the call came in, a California Highway Patrol vehicle was in the area and those officers believed they saw a vehicle that was possibly involved the crime. As explained by the sheriff’s department, the suspect vehicle fled on eastbound SR-78 with the CHP officers in pursuit. The pursuit ended in San Marcos and the two occupants were detained.
The driver, 19-year-old Joseph Freddy Cedillo, and his passenger, 18-year-old Jamal Alexander Solis, were interviewed by homicide detectives. Ultimately, Cedillo was arrested and booked into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of murder, and Solis was arrested and booked on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact, authorities confirmed.
The circumstances and motivation of the shooting are still under investigation. There are no outstanding suspects at this time. No further information was immediately released.
Anyone with information about this shooting is encouraged to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330/after hours at (858) 565-5200, or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
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