Deputy witnesses alleged road rage shooting

A man arrested after allegedly fleeing a road rage shooting near the San Lorenzo-San Leandro border Tuesday morning is in jail and was set to appear in court Thursday afternoon, an Alameda County sheriff’s sergeant said today.

Phillip Jones, 25, allegedly shot at another driver during an argument at the intersection of Hesperian and Lewelling boulevards at about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday. Unfortunately for Jones, a sheriff’s deputy saw the shooting happen, sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly said.

The deputy couldn’t immediately catch up with the shooter because of traffic. The victim’s car was hit several times by gunfire and he was shot in the arm. He pulled over at 163rd Avenue to call 911 and was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

Sheriff’s deputies swarmed the surrounding area and pulled over Jones, who fit the description of the shooter. Searching the area with a dog turned up a gun abandoned in some bushes a few blocks away, Kelly said.

Jones was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail without bail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into an occupied vehicle, according to jail records. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Hayward this afternoon.

Kelly said it appears Jones and the victim did not know each other and the shooting happened after the two got into an argument on the road and yelled and gestured at each other. Jones allegedly pulled alongside the victim’s car and opened fire.

“It was good police work that solved this case,” Kelly said.

“Having the resources on the street and police officers being observant and getting good descriptions led to getting an arrest.”