Man Accidentally Shot Himself, Then Lied: Newark Police

NEWARK, CA — An investigation has determined that a 19-year-old Hayward man who reported being wounded in a morning shooting Dec. 6 in Newark fabricated his account, Newark police said Tuesday.

Officers had responded at 6:14 a.m. to help a person who said they suffered a gunshot wound in the area of Thornton Avenue and Cedar Boulevard.

Officers located Alejandro Rodriguez Nunez, who police said had suffered "some type of wound to an upper extremity." The man was taken to a hospital and released later in the day, police said.

Detectives "determined there was no physical evidence of a shooting at the reported location" and that additional evidence contradicted portions of the man's statement.

Detectives from the Major Crimes Gang unit entered the investigation.

It was determined that Nunez "was in possession a firearm, as well as a high capacity magazine, and was making efforts to sell firearms online," police said.

Rodriguez Nunez "ultimately admitted he accidentally shot himself and fabricated the story of being a victim of a targeted shooting."

Rodriguez Nunez was arrested for possession of stolen property warrant and has since been charged by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office for making a false police report, police said.

At the time he made the shooting report, Rodriguez Nunez had a pending criminal case involving charges of burglary, looting, and carrying a loaded firearm, police said.

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