Driver with two children become unintended target in Salinas shooting, police say

A man, with two young children in the backseat of a car, was the unintended target of a shooting in North Salinas Thursday night, police said.

Salinas police said the 30-year-old driver was stopped at the intersection of East Boronda Road and McKinnon Street around 10:15 p.m. when a car with four males in a green Honda Accord pulled up beside him.

That’s when police said the suspects started flashing gang signs. The driver then pointed a gun at the victim and fired several shots. Police said the victim sped off on East Boronda, continuing onto Natividad Road, where the suspects chased after reaching high speeds.

Officers said the victim lost control of his car on Sherwood Drive near Cherry Street and the car rolled onto its side. No one was hurt and the suspects were not located.

Police said the victim’s car was not hit by any of the gunfire. They also don’t believe the victim has any gang ties and appears to be a case of mistaken identity.