MESA, AZ — Mesa police have made an arrest in the October drive-by shooting that left a 1-year-old dead and six other people injured, family members tell ABC15.
BREAKING: @MesaPD has arrested and charged a man in relation to the October drive-by shooting in Mesa that killed a one-year-old, family to victim and victim confirms. @abc15 https://t.co/NVZQ7e0E70
— Adam Waltz (@Adam_Waltz) November 26, 2020
Officials with the Mesa Police Department have not yet confirmed an arrest, but one of the victims and other family members tell ABC15 they were notified Wednesday night that a man has been arrested in connection to the shooting on October 16, near Dobson and Guadalupe roads.
RELATED: Mesa father pleads for help after losing his 1-year-old son in drive-by shooting
Authorities have spent the last several weeks looking for a drive-by shooter who opened fire at a food vending area of a community event where a crowd of families and children were attending.
A total of seven people were shot, including three adults and four children, ages 1, 6, 9, and 16 years old.
Sally Holderbach, who was shot in the foot while running from the gunfire, said she received a call from Mesa police at 3 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.
"The call woke me up, it was from an unknown number, but they told me they got the guy," said Holderbach. "I asked if they knew it was him for sure, and they said, 'Yeah.'"
Three of Gerardo Duran's children were shot during the incident, including 1-year-old Sebastian. Sadly, Sebastian died at the hospital from wounds he suffered during the shooting.
Duran told ABC15 that his wife had taken their children to dinner that night, but now that day has turned into his worst nightmare.
“We want justice for my family, for what happened to us,” expressed Duran.
Gerardo is the only one working in the family due to the pandemic and the family is accepting donations to help with funeral and medical bills. If you would like to help them, please visit the family's GoFundMe page.
The day after the shooting, Holderbach recalled seeing young Sebastian being carried away, something she still thinks about often.
"I think about the baby a lot, the baby that I saw, and I still feel awful for the family. I just hope that through finding out this guy got caught that they’re at peace now too," said Holderbach, who breathed a sigh of relief after the early morning phone call. "I was really, really happy because it’s been a worry of mine that this guy could possibly go and do this again to somebody else."
Mesa police said their investigation into the shooting is still ongoing and they "are unable to confirm any additional details other than what has previously been released to protect the integrity of the investigation."
The department said they are still actively seeking information related to the case, and asks that anyone who might know anything about the incident call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.
