Policewoman, Suspect Injured in 36th Street Shoot-Out

A San Diego policewoman suffered a minor gunshot wound and a suspect was in serious condition with eight bullet wounds Thursday after a gun battle between narcotics officers and two men inside an East San Diego home.

The incident began at 1:30 p.m., when Officer Cinda R. Jauregui and other narcotics officers attempted to serve a search warrant in the 4000 block of 36th Street, near University Avenue. Police Lt. Greg Clark said officers were confronted by two men who fired at least one shot from a .22-caliber rifle.

Jauregui, who police said has been on the force more than 10 years, was shot in the left hand. She was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where she underwent surgery and was listed in good condition.

The injured suspect, identified as Jorge Gonzales, 25, was listed in serious but stable condition Thursday night at Mercy Hospital. Doctors repaired eight bullet wounds in his thighs, abdomen, buttocks, groin and hips, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Gonzales was charged with possessing a controlled substance and possessing a controlled substance for sale, police said. They did not specify what drug was involved.

A second suspect, who escaped from the bungalow where the shooting occurred, was captured at 5 p.m. Police identified the man as Ruben F. Flores, 21; charges against him were pending.

According to Clark, the officers were looking for heroin when they arrived with a search warrant. Clark said one of the men fired the rifle at the officers, who returned fire. Investigators said they did not know how many shots were fired by both sides. A rifle believed to have been used by a suspect was recovered in the yard of the residence, and another rifle was found in some bushes two houses away, Clark said.

Traffic was snarled for about two hours during the incident, as police barricaded several blocks on University Avenue, east and west of 36th Street. Police also ordered students at nearby Edison Elementary School and Wilson Middle School to be kept indoors during the incident, as police surrounded an entire block looking for the second suspect.

SWAT officers were called to search the bungalow for the second man. The search proved fruitless, and officers began stopping and questioning men in the area who resembled the suspect. His capture was announced later in the afternoon, but police did not say where he was arrested.