By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
Weapons, threats and shootings dominated the weekend in the city of Sacramento, where some victims successfully followed their assailants and called police for help and where others weren't so lucky.
The bloodiest incident began at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on the 3900 block of Haywood Street in the Del Paso Heights area where four people were shot in what started as a domestic disturbance between a man and a woman, according to the city police department's daily activity log.
Here's how it played out:
When the domestic disturbance began, a brother of the woman intervened, broke up the argument, then left and returned later with friends, police said.
One of the friends had a pistol, police said. A struggle began and the handgun went off.
By the time police arrived, a 24-year-old woman was laying in the street with a gunshot wound to her leg. A 22-year-old man had a gunshot wound to his chest. Two other women had gunshot wounds to a finger and a leg.
Police said the man with the chest wound was hospitalized and now faces weapons charges.
Citizen cops
Victims in two other incidents fared better after tracking suspects and calling police.
On the 2600 block of River Plaza Drive in Natomas, a motorist complained that another man brandished a handgun at him while driving at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The victim followed the suspect to his apartment complex where both coincidentally live.
He watched the alleged perpetrator park his own car when the suspect again allegedly brandished his handgun, police said.
The victim called police and gave them a description and license plate information.
When cops arrived, they arrested 57-year-old Ronald Fitzhugh.
In the other case, a woman in the parking lot of a Wells Fargo Bank in North Natomas complained that her car was hit by another vehicle whose driver kept going.
The victim in the 1 p.m. Saturday incident followed the other motorist to her home and then alerted police.
The responding officer discovered that the accused motorist actually had hit three different vehicles on her way out of the bank parking lot, police reported.
The woman was cited for misdemeanor hit and run.
Home invasion
Police also dealt with a home invasion, and in another case, a vehicle pursuit over the weekend.
Shortly before 1 a.m. today, occupants of an apartment in the 1200 block of U Street told police they were entertaining friends. But when the visitors left via the back door, the man was assaulted by three other men outside. He ran, and his female friend ran back inside the apartment, police said.
The three male suspects came into the apartment too. One had a gun, police said. Another had a knife. And they demanded money.
Authorities said they took cash and personal items before fleeing.
Car chase
Police said the vehicle pursuit incident began at 1:20 a.m. today in Oak Park with a large fight involving a gun being brandished in the 4900 block of 14th Avenue. The armed suspect climbed into a Tan Cutlass, police said.
A short while later, a vehicle matching the description was seen traveling north on Stockton Boulevard headed toward Broadway.
When police followed, the driver raced away, then fled on foot at Fairgrounds. He was arrested after a short chase, police said.
But a passenger in the vehicle slid into the driver's seat and continued fleeing. That driver turned off his headlights, driving south on 53rd Street, finally crashing into a fence and a tree at 14th Avenue.
Police arrested the two additional passengers in the car. And an officer and his K9 partner apprehended the second driver who was hiding in the engine compartment of a gutted out truck.
Bad karma
Finally, a 27-year-old man parked his car on the 2900 block of 38th Avenue shortly before 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Police said the man intended to buy drugs and gave money to a friend who left to get the drugs for him.
While he waited, however, another man approached him, brandished a handgun and demanded his wallet
The victim handed over the wallet, police said, and the suspect walked away.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
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