Crime
At least 1 dead, another injured after shooting near Riverview Terrace Apartments in Needles
NEEDLES, CA – A deadly shooting early Wednesday morning in a Needles neighborhood has left one person dead and two others airlifted to medical facilities, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD).
At approximately 6:39 a.m. on July 23, emergency crews responded to reports of multiple gunshot victims in the 1900 block of Erin Drive.
Upon arrival, first responders located three victims.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while two others were flown to area hospitals via Classic Air Medical for treatment of injuries whose severity has not yet been publicly disclosed.
Dispatch records indicate a prior call to the same block at 5:44 a.m. reporting an assault. Authorities have not confirmed whether the two incidents are related.
Due to the nature of the crime, the SBCSD Homicide Detail has taken over the investigation.
Law enforcement established a wide perimeter around the scene, including a road closure at the intersection of Erin Drive and Coronado, and urged the public to avoid the area.
The Sheriff’s Department has stated that additional information will be released following the completion of the initial investigation.
To assist in the response, the San Bernardino County Fire Department requested mutual aid from the Mohave Valley Fire Department, including two additional medics, two engines, and a duty chief.
On the Arizona side of the Colorado River, authorities temporarily closed the southeast corner of Highway 95 and Barrackman Road to establish a landing zone for air ambulances.
Residents in the neighborhood reported extensive police activity and full road closures stretching from Coronado to Earl Court, including all access points along Erin Drive.
The Sheriff’s Department has not yet released the identities of the deceased or injured.
The motive for the shooting and the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under active investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department – Needles Station or submit a tip anonymously through local crime reporting services.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.