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Charges mount for foursome arrested after chase
Carbrajal Esequiel
Esequiel Carbrajal Jr.,

 

The identities of the four men apprehended in Turlock on July 25 in a vehicle with 25 pounds of marijuana and a sawed-off shotgun have been released by law enforcement.

The suspects were arrested after a short pursuit that ended on Shetland Way in Turlock.

The four men arrested were identified by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department as: Esequiel Carbrajal Jr., 20; Justin Jeet Singh, 25; Rafael Avila Martinez, 38; and Austin Jeet Singh, 19.

The four men are suspected of firing a sawed-off shotgun while driving in the area of Santa Fe and Berkeley avenues. It is believed the suspects were shooting the gun from the sports utility vehicle they were riding in, but it is not suspected that they were firing at anyone or anything in particular, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

The vehicle and the suspects were spotted by a California Highway Patrol officer on Keyes Road.

The CHP officer followed the SUV and witnessed a passenger on the right side throw a gun out the window. The gun was later recovered and was found to be a sawed-off shotgun, said CHP spokesman Officer Eric Parsons.

The CHP attempted to pull the SUV over, but the driver, Justin Singh, would not stop and sped off toward Highway 99. At speeds reaching 100 mph, the SUV traveled southbound on 99 until exiting at the Fulkerth Road off-ramp. The vehicle then turned into a residential neighborhood on Shetland Way and came to a stop. Three of the four passengers were arrested at the vehicle and one passenger fled on foot.

While conducting a search of the area, an officer saw the suspect run out from a nearby back yard and into the Walmart parking lot, where he was apprehended.

A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 25 pounds of marijuana.

The suspects are all facing numerous weapon and drug charges.