Man carried out deadly drive-by shooting from back of S.F. Muni bus, prosecutors say
A 28-year-old man has been charged with murder for allegedly carrying out a deadly drive-by shooting from the back of a city bus in San Francisco.
According to the San Francisco district attorney’s office, the man, Jose Adrian Flores Garcia of San Francisco, was riding a Muni bus on June 18 around 11 p.m. when his victim and two of their friends got on the bus. The trio later got off at Mission Street and Silver Avenue and Flores Garcia remained aboard the bus, the district attorney’s office said in a news release Tuesday.
After the trio got off the bus, prosecutors allege, Flores Garcia opened a bus window, stuck his arm out and shot at the victim. He then allegedly yelled at the bus driver to drive away from the scene.
When San Francisco police arrived, they found the unarmed victim, who later died from his injuries, according to the D.A.’s office. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as 23-year-old San Francisco resident Alex Fernando Torres.
Authorities have not revealed a motive behind the shooting.
A Metro bus passenger was killed in Commerce last week, three months after he arrived in the U.S. It’s the second fatal attack on the system in a month.
Flores Garcia was arrested on July 18 after an investigation by San Francisco Police, according to the D.A.’s office. He was charged with murder and discharging a firearm from a moving vehicle, with the allegations that he committed a drive-by murder and personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, according to prosecutors.
“I would like to offer my condolences to the victim’s family and friends,” San Francisco Dist. Atty. Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. “The cold-blooded killing and use of public transportation to flee the scene in this case is chilling. Although nothing we do can bring the victim back, my office will do everything in our power to fight for justice in this case.”
Flores Garcia is scheduled to appear in court on July 30. Although charges have been filed against a suspect, prosecutors want the public to come forward with any tips about the shooting or the case. Contact the San Francisco Police Department Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.
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