When Los Banos PD arrived at the gas station they saw two men standing near a jeep. One of the men ran away on foot towards the intersection of west Pacheco Boulevard and California Avenue.
Moments later, the officers heard a number of gunshots coming from the 1200 block of California Avenue. Officers responded to the area and found shell casings in the roadway. As the officers were at the scene, they found a man with gunshot wounds hiding near a home in the 1200 block of California Avenue, police say.
According to Los Banos PD, the shooting victim, 22, had assaulted the jeep owner and attempted a carjacking. The jeep owner fought back and the two stopped fighting just prior to officers arriving at the scene. In what appears to be a completely unrelated incident, the 22-year-old man was shot as he fled the scene of the carjacking attempt.
Los Banos PD reported seeing a light colored sedan make a u-turn at the intersection of Pacheco Boulevard and California Avenue just after the shots were heard.
The 22-year-old shooting victim is in critical condition and has been air-lifted to an out of town hospital for treatment.
Detectives are early on in the investigation and details are limited. Anyone who may have witnessed the altercation at the gas station or shooting on California Avenue is urged to call the Los Banos Police Department at (209) 827-7070.
