The suspect who opened fire on law enforcement coming to take him into custody for shooting at a Ceres police officer is now facing multiple charges of attempted murder of a peace officer.
The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office filed five felony counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and nine felony assault with a deadly weapon charges against Jorge Alberto Mendoza.
Mendoza, who sustained a single bullet wound to the abdomen during the shootout, is listed in critical but stable condition at an undisclosed hospital, said Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Detective Ken Hedrick.
Mendoza is a convicted felon and has been deported from the country at least once before, Hedrick said.
Area law enforcement had been on the search for Mendoza since Feb. 2, when authorities say he fired two shots at a Ceres police officer, who had stopped at the convenience store to check out a suspicious vehicle.
Mendoza missed the officer, but shattered the rear window of the patrol car.
A 12-hour manhunt for Mendoza, who was considered armed and dangerous, was launched, but to no avail.
Two days later investigators had developed information that Mendoza was hiding inside a home in the 5600 block of Geer Road, between Keyes and Alderson roads.
As law enforcement was preparing to take Mendoza into custody, the suspect came out of the home with a firearm and started shooting.
Four officers from the Turlock Police Department, two officers from the Ceres Police Department, one officer from the Modesto Police Department and an Investigator from the District Attorney’s office returned fire, striking Mendoza once.
Mendoza retreated back into the home and used his cell phone to call 911. He told the dispatcher he had been shot and wanted to surrender. He was taken into custody about an hour later.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department detectives are investigating the shooting. Other law enforcement agencies involved are conducting their own respective parallel administrative investigations which are routine when officers discharge their firearms.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
