Man gunned down in Salinas

A 23-year old man is dead after he was shot in front of a house on the 100 block of Paloma Avenue in Salinas, according to the Salinas Police Department which responded to the shooting just before 10:50 p.m. Saturday night.

A caller phoned to report hearing gunshots around 10:30 p.m., but hadn’t looked outside to find out what happened. When the caller did, the victim was found lying on the porch at the front door.

Police say the investigation found that the victim had driven to visit a family member on Paloma and was confronted by two suspects when he left the house to use his phone.

The suspects fired several rounds and took off. The vehicle may have been a white, small SUV, last seen southbound on Tampa St.

Officers are investigating the case as gang related, although the Salinas Police Department says the victim does not have any history of gang involvement.

Anyone who knows anything about this case is asked to contact Detective Dave Poulin at (831) 758-7270; or Detective Byron Gansen at (831) 758-7137. If you would like to remain anonymous, you can call the Salinas Police Department Anonymous Tip Line at 831-775-4222, or the We-Tip Line at 1-800-78-CRIME