Assailant Sought in Shooting at Ranch
Law enforcement officials are seeking 25-year-old Ulysis Moreno on suspicion of attempted murder in the shooting of Darwin Cruz, 26, after a dispute Saturday night at the Rincon Del Mar Ranch, near the Ventura-Santa Barbara county line.
Moreno fled the scene in a red 1988 Ford Escort, California license plate number 2YQZ363, with a black spoiler on the rear deck, according to reports from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. Investigators say they consider Moreno to be armed and extremely dangerous.
Senior Deputy Chuck Buttell said sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call about 8:30 p.m. Saturday reporting the shooting at 9468 Rincon Road. Moreno and Cruz, both ranch hands, had been drinking and became embroiled in an argument, investigators said. Moreno got a handgun from his residence and began shooting at Cruz, striking him several times, before fleeing the scene in his Escort, Buttell said.
Cruz was taken to St. Francis Medical Center in Santa Barbara by friends, where he was listed in critical condition Sunday afternoon.
Authorities advised the public not to approach Moreno, if spotted, but to call the Sheriff’s Department at 654-2311 or at 911.
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