PINOLE — A Fairfield man was arrested Wednesday after police said he shot two people and tried to carjack three motorists after robbing a gas station convenience store, all in broad daylight.
Officers finally arrested the 21-year-old underneath an Interstate 80 overpass on Pinole Valley Road, north of the gas station.
Pinole police Chief Neil Gang in a statement identified him as Demetrius Chafford and said he was booked in jail on two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, attempted robbery, carrying a concealed firearm and three counts of attempted carjacking.
Chafford remained in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility on Thursday afternoon in lieu of $1.555 million bail.
The two shooting victims both were treated at the scene and at a hospital, where they later were released, according to Gang. None of the carjacking victims were injured.
It all began about 12:20 p.m. at a Chevron station in the 2600 block of Pinole Valley Road. According to Gang, dispatchers received a 911 call from the station and heard a loud argument in the background. Gang said the line then went dead but others called to report a robbery and that two people were shot.
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Officers used video surveillance and witness interviews to determine that Chafford entered the station’s convenience store and tried to make a purchase, Gang said. The transaction was declined.
According to Gang, Chafford argued with the clerk and walked behind the sales counter. Gang said he tried to open the cash register to no avail, then ripped the register from the counter and the cables on which it was hooked.
Chafford next left the store and tried to carjack a vehicle in the station lot, police said. That victim got away, so Chafford then punched out a passenger window in another car, taking a purse, Gang said. The purse’s owner tried to recover it, and as she did, two other people observing the scene got involved.
At that point, Chafford allegedly pulled out a gun and fired more than once at the two good Samaritans, hitting each of them, Gang said. They retreated, and Chafford took off running through a nearby Jack in the Box parking lot.
In that lot, he tried to carjack two other cars, Gang said. Chafford ran toward the freeway underpass after those unsuccessful tries, Gang said. Officers found him there.
Pinole police said Chafford is on pre-trial release for evading an officer and weapons violations in Solano County.
