SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A preliminary hearing was rescheduled Thursday to Dec. 6 for a Lancaster man accused of opening fire along Interstate 805 and Interstate 5, wounding one person and striking two vehicles.
Enrique Ayon, 24, is charged with two counts of attempted murder and other charges stemming from the seemingly random freeway attacks that took place from National City to Del Mar on Oct. 3. He was arrested in Los Angeles County nearly 24 hours later.
Authorities have said they believe Ayon acted alone, but the motive remains a mystery.
Shortly before the car-to-car shooting rampage began, Ayon was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash near the U.S.-Mexico border.
A few minutes later, at about 10:30 a.m., the first firearm assault occurred on northbound Interstate 805, near East Plaza Boulevard, San Diego police Lt. Darryl Hoover said. At least one bullet hit a car, but no one was hurt.
A short time later, gunfire erupted again on the same freeway at Mesa College Drive in Serra Mesa, wounding a 26-year-old driver, Hoover said. Medics took the victim to a trauma center for treatment of a non-life-threatening wound to his thigh.
Within the next quarter-hour or so, two more shootings occurred on I-805 near State Route 163, where a California Highway Patrol officer was assisting a motorist, and on northbound I-5 in the area of Del Mar Heights Road, according to Hoover. No one was injured in those attacks.
In addition to attempted murder, Ayon is charged with three counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle and one count each of discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner, hit-and-run driving and vandalism. He faces more than 63 years to life in state prison if convicted.
