Martinez Man Accused Of Fatally Shooting Safeway Worker: Sheriff

Martinez CA

17 August, 2020

1:27 PM

Description

AMERICAN CANYON, CA — A Martinez man was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting Sunday of an employee at Safeway in American Canyon, the Napa County Sheriff's Office said. The shooting happened at 12:02 p.m. in the Safeway parking lot on West American Canyon Road. "Unfortunately Nathan Gabriel Garza, 18 years old from Fairfield, was shot and pronounced dead at the scene," said Henry Wofford, spokesman for the Napa County Sheriff's Office. "Nathan was a Safeway employee." Sheriff's detectives and the Napa County Major Crimes Task Force immediately launched an investigation which led to a vehicle of interest that was possibly associated with the shooter, Wofford said. The car, a white-colored Cadillac sedan with a partial California license plate of 7NP, was reportedly seen speeding away from the scene. Minutes later, around 12:30 p.m., multiple reports came into Napa Dispatch regarding a Black man who was seen jumping fences and running through backyards. Deputies and detectives quickly responded and took the suspect into custody. "During these initial stages of the investigation, it was believed this suspect was not associated with the shooting based on witness descriptions," Wofford said. "However, detectives did not rule out the possibility the suspect was the responsible for the shooting and identified the suspect as Christopher 'Roly' Young, 23 years old, from Martinez, California." Investigators soon found the white Cadillac parked on Cattail Drive in American Canyon, about a mile from the Safeway. It is alleged that residential surveillance camera footage taken within minutes of the shooting shows a man matching Young's description parking the Cadillac and getting out of it. "He then left the area on foot in the direction in which he was eventually apprehended," Wofford said. "A subsequent search of the vehicle located a .45-caliber handgun, the same caliber handgun used in the Safeway shooting." Young was booked into Napa County Detention Center, where he was being held on charges of 187 PC- Murder, the sheriff's office said. Booking charges against Young also included resisting arrest and false imprisonment, jail records show. "We do not have a motive at this time," Wofford said late Monday morning. "Detectives would like to talk with anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that may help solve this case," Wofford said. "Our detectives can be reached at (707) 253-4591." The sheriff's office noted in a social media post Sunday that "contrary to misinformation on the internet, Detectives have no evidence suggesting Mr. Garza was killed shortly after asking the suspect(s) to wear a mask. Also, a man was arrested shortly after this incident, however that arrest is not related to this incident."