Arrest Warrant Issued In 1 Of 2 Highway 129 Shootings

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office has issued an arrest warrant for a man suspected of a shooting near Highway 129 late Wednesday night — hours after another unrelated shooting along the same highway that left another man injured.

Edgar Ayala, 47, should be considered armed and dangerous, the sheriff's office said in a statement. Anyone with information about his location is asked to call dispatchers at 831-471-1121.

Calls of the late Wednesday shooting came in around 11:45 p.m. near the 1-100 block of Riverside Road, or Highway 129. One person suffered a gunshot wound, drove to the hospital and is expected to be OK, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies arrived and believed the shooter was inside a nearby RV, the sheriff's office said. The SWAT and crisis negotiation teams tried to make contact with him, but determined he was not inside.

Ayala was later identified as a suspect, the sheriff's office said.

A separate shooting occurred hours earlier.

The sheriff's office reported the first shooting after 8 p.m. Wednesday and asked the public to avoid Highway 129, as it was closed in both directions between Rogge Lane and Murphy Road.

The victim in that shooting is in stable condition, according to sheriff's office spokesperson Ashley Keehn.