Woman, 65, hit by mistake in Salinas drive-by shooting, police say

UPDATE: 2.28.15 at 10:40 p.m.

Salinas police have arrested a suspect in connection with a drive-by shooting that inadvertently left a 65-year-old woman wounded Saturday.

An officer was patrolling in the area of Sieber Avenue, near Garner and Acosta Plaza, and spotted a car similar to one witnesses had reported seeing leave the scene of the shooting, police said.

Police searched the car and found a handgun, similar to the one used in the drive-by shooting.

The officer then contacted the owner of the vehicle, who said her son had been driving it earlier, police said.

The son’s name is Alejandro Meneses, 22, and officers arrested him after connecting him to the shootings, police said. He was booked in the Monterey County Jail on attempted murder, gang and weapons charges, police said.

EARLIER VERSION: 2.28.15 at 4:00 p.m.

A 65-year-old woman was shot in the hip and arm Saturday morning, the result of a drive-by shooting, according to Salinas police.

She is expected to survive, but police believe she was not the intended target because she was inside her apartment in the 1000 block of Sieber Avenue, near the area of Orchard and Garner.

Witnesses said they saw a blue van drive by and said a passenger opened fire at an unknown man standing outside, near the victim’s apartment, police said.