On April 28, at 10:53 a.m., Novato Police Department officers and detectives responded to the 7-Eleven on Diablo Avenue on a report of a shooting. On arrival, officers did not immediately locate any victims or suspects at the scene. In the parking lot, numerous, spent, pistol casings and unspent pistol cartridges were found on the ground. A victim was contacted moments later who stated that while she was standing on a nearby sidewalk, the passenger of a white vehicle fired a pistol at her while that vehicle was fleeing the scene.
Surveillance video was obtained from 7-Eleven store cameras which showed that prior to the robbery, the white suspect vehicle and three suspect occupants arrived at 7-Eleven and met up with a driver of a gray sedan.
During the meeting, a struggle ensued between two male suspects and the victim driver of the gray sedan. Following the struggle, both the gray sedan and the white suspect vehicle fled the 7-Eleven parking lot.
About an hour after the shooting, the victim driver of the gray sedan reported to Novato Police that he had been robbed of marijuana while at the 7-Eleven and that one suspect had shot at him and struck him in the head with a pistol.
From evidence gathered at the scene, and forensic analysis conducted by the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office crime laboratory, Detectives were able to identify one suspect as Jason Arevalo, a 19 year old Antioch, CA resident. Detectives then obtained a warrant for Arevalo’s arrest for a robbery violation. Arevalo was arrested in Antioch, CA on May 7, 2020 by Novato Police Department and was booked into Contra Costa County Jail.
Continuing with the investigation and following leads obtained from various sources, Detectives were able to conclude that Francisco Flores-Avina, a 20 year old Pittsburg resident accompanied Arevalo to 7-Eleven on the date of the robbery.
Flores-Avina was further identified as the suspect who fired a pistol at the robbery victim and the innocent bystander who was shot at while Arevalo and Flores-Avina fled the scene.
On October 26, Detectives obtained a warrant for Flores-Avina’s arrest for attempted murder, robbery, dissuading a witness, assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a firearm. At the time the warrant was obtained, Flores-Avina was housed at the Contra Costa County Jail and was booked for the arrest warrant.
The third occupant of the white suspect vehicle is believed to be a juvenile female and her involvement remains under investigation.
Sausalito
Oct. 21 – 29, 2020
Angry Man: A man smoking a big cigar and wearing a long coat, kicked the chairs from a restaurant on Bridgeway off the sidewalk and into the street. Police rolled, but the angry man was gone by the time they arrived.
Lost Cat: A woman lost her cat in Sausalito and believes she knows who found it. But the person who found it won’t give it back.
Threat: Police were told that a man with long, thick red hair navigated his skiff in a threatening manner.
Weird Encounter: A man sitting on the fountain on Bridgeway squared up on a woman walking by. He kept staring at her and acting weird. Police talked to the weird man and told him to cut it out. He moved along, in cop log parlance.
Dark Talk: On Easterby Street an exchange between a woman and man could be heard. She said “he’s drunk” and “he has a hammer in his hand.” When police arrived the woman had half a bottle of vodka in her hand. Police talked to them both and they agreed to quiet down for the night.
Rear Window: A man reported to police that his neighbor exposed himself through the window.
Sleeping Beauty: A man let a woman sleep at his place on Easterby. When she awoke, she starting “acting crazy.”
No Masks: Several people were seen smoking on Bulkley Avenue. They were not wearing masks.
Novato
Burglary: On Oct. 19 police took a report of a burglary on San Andreas Drive. Police also responded to a “suspicious” person on Second Street, a dead body on Center Road and a “suspicious” circumstance on South Palm Drive.
Petty Theft: On Oct. 20 police responded to a petty theft complaint on Grant Avenue.
Fight: Police broke up a couple fights, one on Nave Avenue and another on Alameda del Prado on Oct. 21. There were also several “suspicious” items on the cop log around town on this shift.
Sex Crime: Police took a report of a sex crime on Diablo Avenue on Oct. 22.
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