Police arrested a man on Tuesday suspected of a series of shootings from a pellet gun at seemingly random victims, which are being classified as assaults with a deadly weapon and assaults causing great bodily injury, San Jose Police said on Wednesday.
Nicholas Montoya, 38, of Campbell, is accused of shooting lead pellets from a high-powered rifle at three victims in three separate San Jose locations in a 45 minute period on June 10. Another victim was identified the following day.
Police said they immediately put together a task force to identify and apprehend a suspect in the crimes.
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Detectives discovered three additional shootings between April 14 and June 15, bringing the total number of shootings to seven. The victims were hit with high-velocity projectiles believed to be pellets. In several cases, doctors declined to remove the projectiles from the victims due to the inherent risk of the procedure, SJPD said.
The victims range in age from 9 years old to 56, with one other minor victim being 15. Six out of the seven people shot are female; six of the shootings occurred in San Jose and one in Campbell.
Police said that a "unique" suspect vehicle description led them to Montoya, as well as evidence seized during a search warrant.
Montoya was arrested at his residence in the 200 block of Beverly Court in Campbell, police said.
The suspect has been charged by the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office with seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon and assault causing great bodily injury, the SJPD said.
