Livermore

Tracy Man Arrested on Suspicion of Shooting at Livermore Police Officer

Livermore police have arrested a Tracy man who they say opened fire on an officer early Thursday morning.

Miguel Alvarez, 24, was taken into custody at his home after a 12-hour hunt for a suspect who shot at Livermore police Officer Dirk Stoddard, police said.

Stoddard was among the Livermore officers who responded at 12:51 a.m. to a report of shots fired in the area of Chestnut and North I streets. Police had received multiple reports of shots fired in the area throughout
the night.

When the officers arrived, they saw a shirtless male suspect in blue jeans, about 6 feet tall, walking east on Chestnut Street, police said.

The officers tried to make contact with the suspect, but he continued walking east on Chestnut before turning north onto North I Street, where he ducked behind a vehicle, according to police.

When Stoddard approached, the suspect suddenly turned and without provocation fired multiple shots at the officer, who ducked into his patrol car to avoid the gunfire and was uninjured, police said.

The officers at the scene did not return fire at the suspect and no injuries to any officers or residents were reported in the incident, police said.

The suspect fled north on North I Street and then east onto Park Street. Officers set up a perimeter in the area and searched yard-to-yard, but couldn't find him.

Investigators eventually connected the incident to a black 2014 Nissan Altima and tracked it to Alvarez's Tracy residence. He shares the residence with 25-year-old Lizbeth Gonzalez, who was connected to the earlier reports of gunfire.

Both were arrested at their home at 12:39 p.m. and then booked into Santa Rita Jail.

Alvarez was booked on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer. Gonzalez was arrested on suspicion of an earlier unrelated incident of reckless discharge of a firearm, police said.

Both have extensive criminal histories including multiple previous arrests in Livermore, according to police.

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