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Police respond to gunfire at Turlock motel
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The Turlock Police Department is crediting a woman’s calm demeanor with preventing a possible tragedy after her significant other began randomly firing his gun while at a Motel 6.

There were no injuries reported from the incident and the suspect has been taken into custody. He was identified as Benjamin Flores, 33.

The incident began around 6:30 a.m. Friday when the police department received a call of shots being fired at the Motel 6 at 250 S. Walnut Rd.

While traveling to the scene officers were informed a vehicle had just left the area and it had its back window shot out, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Russ Holeman.

Officers found the vehicle about a mile away and conducted a high-risk stop. The vehicle was being driven by a woman in her 20s, with an 18-month old child in the car, Holeman said.

“She was very cooperative and filled us in on everything that had happened,” Holeman said.

The woman told officers that Flores had taken some type of stimulant early in the morning and had a bad reaction to it. He became paranoid that someone was trying to get into their motel room and grabbed his gun. He fired several rounds randomly, including one at the car, which resulted in the back window being shot out.

The woman was able to convince Flores to leave the motel in the car with her and was then able to get him to get out of the car, while leaving the gun.

“With him in the state of mind that he was in and being armed, the actions she took probably prevented a tragedy from having,” Holeman said.

While talking to the woman officers learned that Flores had called 911 and was at a payphone outside the WalMart at 2111 Fulkerth Rd.

Flores was taken into custody without incident. He was arrested on suspicion of shooting at an unoccupied vehicle, a felony, and a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment.