NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEBRASKA STATE PATROL
www.nsp.state.ne.us
Contact: Deb Collins 402-479-4985 or
Colfax County Attorney Bo Botelho 402-352-8502
May 16, 2009

Suspect Arrested in Schulyer Drive-By Shooting

(Norfolk, NE)- The Nebraska State Patrol in conjunction with the Schulyer Police Department, the Colfax County Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Colfax and Butler County Sheriff’s Offices, are investigating a drive-by shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 16, 2009, in Schuyler, Colfax County, Nebraska.

At approximately 5:20 a.m., Saturday, May 16, 2009, the Schuyler Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol troopers responded to a report of shots fired in the 1700 block of Denver Street, in Schuyler.  Upon their arrival they discovered numerous rounds had been fired into an occupied blue Ford F250 pickup parked in front of a residence at 1708 Denver Street.

The driver of the pickup, 35-year-old Marco Otero and a passenger, 34-year-old Jose Dominguez-Pineda were in the vehicle at the time the shots were fired.  The two men were parked in front of Dominguez-Pineda’s home.  No-one was injured.  The victims provided officers with the description of the vehicle from which the shots were fired as well as a name of a possible suspect.  The drive-by shooting is believed to be the result of an earlier confrontation between the three men.

At approximately 6:30 a.m., troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol and officers with the Schuyler Police Department stopped a blue, 1977 Chevy Nova.  The vehicle matched the description provided by the victims.  The driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old Salvador Otero-Lopez, was ordered by officers to exit the vehicle. Otero-Lopez, refused to comply with officers orders.  The officers utilized non-lethal force to remove him from the vehicle and place him under arrest.  A semi automatic assault rifle was located on the front seat of the vehicle along with spent rounds and additional ammunition.  A female passenger was also removed from the vehicle.

Otero-Lopez, of 722 West 6th Street, Schuyler, was taken into custody and lodged in the Colfax County Jail on two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, and Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony.  The female passenger who was not identified was released after questioning.

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