Man Arrested For Shooting at Vehicle

MODESTO, CA---A 32-year-old Modesto man was arrested early this morning on numerous felony charges after he shot at a vehicle in an intersection, narrowly missing the vehicle’s driver.

Just after 11:00 pm June 3rd, an off-duty Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputy was driving home from work eastbound on Briggsmore Avenue approaching Coffee Road.  The deputy is assigned to a local drug task force.  He observed a vehicle in front of him driving erratically.  As they approached Coffee Road the vehicle in front moved into the turn lane to drive north onto Coffee Road.  The deputy passed the vehicle as he continued east on Briggsmore Avenue.  As he passed, the deputy heard a gun shot and felt an impact to his vehicle.  

The deputy immediately pulled over and examined his vehicle.  He saw a bullet hole on the driver's side of his car just behind the driver seat.  The deputy reported what had happened and began looking for the vehicle that had turned north onto Coffee Road.  Modesto Police Officers and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene and located the vehicle parked at a residence in the 3100 block of Delta Avenue.  The officers surrounded the house and the suspect, Michael Simons, surrendered a few minutes later.  Detectives and officers served a search warrant at the residence early this morning and located a .44 caliber pistol, a shotgun, ammunition, and a military flak vest.  Simons was arrested and later booked at the Stanislaus County Jail for shooting at an occupied vehicle and being a felon in possession of a firearm, ammunition and body armor.  It is unclear why Simons shot at the victim but detectives believe that he did not know the victim was an off-duty deputy.

For information about this news release, contact Modesto Police Spokesperson Sergeant Craig Gundlach at (209) 652-3184.