Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Details will be added as more information becomes available.
A man was arraigned Friday afternoon in connection with drive-by gel pellet shootings in Hillcrest that allegedly targeted the LGBTQ+ community. Hernan Garduno Hernandez, 19, was booked into San Diego Central jail Wednesday afternoon.
Hernandez faces felony charges of assault and civil rights violations with a bail set at $30,000.
The most recent attacks happened between Sept. 2 and 8 near University Avenue and 10th Avenue. Police said there were at least four victims. None were seriously injured.
There were also similar assaults that occurred in the early-morning hours of May 18, mostly targeting gay bars in Hillcrest and North Park. The shootings, also involving a gel-pellet gun, were carried out by one or more occupants of a black late-model sedan.
Rudy Alvarez lives a block away from The Rail, a popular Hillcrest bar and nightclub that was the scene of a drive-by assault involving a pellet gun this past May.
“You move to this area. It's supposed to be a safe space, and it is a safe space. Most of the bars, everything here is gay friendly, LGBTQ+ friendly and it's just the fact that people are getting together to decide to come out here and do graffiti and pellet gun people and like, it's just disheartening,” Alvarez said.
North Park Resident Kevin Wirsing says these incidents have really impacted people in the neighborhood.
“A lot of older people, who have some challenges getting out anyway," Wirsing said. "And you put this into the atmosphere and they stay home. It isolates, in my judgment, literally hundreds of people who depend upon having a safe community.”
SDPD reached out to the public Tuesday for help in identifying the suspect or suspects involved in the May 18 alleged hate crimes, promising a reward of $2,000 if tips lead to an arrest.
Wirsing finds comfort that law enforcement took these incidents seriously and are taking action.
“There's some shoe leather that they spend, and somebody at a high level had to tell somebody — a lower level. We need to deal with that. That's what I'm pleased to see,” Wirsing said.
Police and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office did not confirm whether Hernandez was a suspect in both the May and September shootings.
A recent SANDAG report said hate crimes were up by 39% in San Diego County and sexual orientation was the second most frequent motive for those crimes.
The San Diego Police Department installed additional surveillance cameras and license-plate readers in Hillcrest ahead of this year’s Pride parade, citing an increase in hate crimes.
In a statement San Diego Pride said, "Unfortunately violence targeting our community is nothing new … Our community is united in its commitment to keep one another safe and San Diego Pride is committed to creating safe, inclusive spaces for the community to come together."
