Full Notification

PATTERSON, CA- A Stanislaus Co. Sheriff’s Dept. helicopter was able to locate and rescue a shooting victim from a remote area in Del Puerto Canyon just before 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24th, 2020. The man was transported to a local area hospital and is expected to survive.

The incident began around 3 a.m. on Monday, June 22, 200, which was when dispatch received an anonymous call from a 911-only cell phone number. The caller said there was a man shot somewhere near Frank Raines Park located at 17802 Del Puerto Canyon Road outside of Patterson. The caller gave a vague description of the area and the call was dropped.

Unable to reach the caller due it being a 911-only phone, deputies searched the area near the park and were unable to locate a shooting victim. Another anonymous call came in about 3-hours later at 6:00 AM repeating the same information. They reported yet another shooting victim in the same area.

Additional deputies, along with the sheriff’s department helicopter, again searched the area around the park until afternoon. They did not initially locate the victim. The search was finally abandoned, due to the large area and limited information to operate from.

Some time around midnight on Wednesday, June 24, dispatch received another call reporting the shooting victim from Monday. Deputies were able to meet up with the caller in a parking lot on Rogers Road in Patterson.

The reporting party advised they were working in an illegal marijuana grow in the canyon when several armed gunmen robbed them and shot the victim. Attempts were made by witnesses to treat the wounded man as best as they could and offered to seek out assistance.

Due to inconsistent statements, and complex directions coming from the reporting party, the determination was made to resume the search efforts closer towards the break of dawn early Wednesday morning.

The sheriff’s helicopter, drones, SWAT team, and Special Vehicle Operations Unit (SVOU) assisted detectives with the search. The sheriff’s helicopter located the shooting victim in a remote area of the canyon just before 11 a.m. Wednesday morning. The location was near an illegal marijuana grow, and the victim waved deputies down once they finally accessed the area. SWAT team members were dropped on-scene by helicopter and began to immediately render aid to the victim.

Due to the difficulty of the terrain and the nature of the victim’s injuries, the helicopter had to use a long-line attached to a harness in order to lift him to safety and transport him in an awaiting ambulance.

The victim is described as a Hispanic male adult in his late twenties. At the time of this release, it is unknown where the victim resides. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to call Stan Co S/O Detective Sulkowski at 209-525-7032.