A tip from a motorist who had just heard a description of the car involved in Sunday’s drive shooting lead to the location of the vehicle Thursday morning. Authorities spent the afternoon pouring over it in hopes of finding clues in the case.
Meanwhile, the Great Bend Police Department continues to hunt for the alleged driver and shooter, 26-year-old Eric Torres of Great Bend who was identified by the victim, and an unknown passenger. Police are seeking the public’s help in locating the two.
GBPD Detective David Bailey said a citizen spotted the tattered 1991 Saturn with its gas cap cover was missing and a donut spare tire on the left rear in 2200 block of 18th Street. That was in the morning, and by the afternoon, officers had the car impounded in the police department garage and a search warrant in hand.
Bailey said they recovered some personal items from the car. However, they did not know what belonged to whom.
Torres is alleged to have driven east past the home of Nicholas Curtice at 1200 Ninth St. at about 8:20 a.m. Sunday and fired one shot from a smaller-caliber handgun. Curtice, who was standing in his front yard, was not hit by the bullet, but it did strike a vehicle parked in the driveway, ricocheted and struck another vehicle (causing $650 in damage to the vehicles) and a garage at the residence.
Bailey said a small fragment of the bullet was recovered. The type of gun used remains unknown.
Curtice was able to identify Torres, since both worked in the oil field together. However, he was unable to positively identify the passenger.
A warrant was issued Monday for Torres as the alleged shooter. He is described as being six feet tall, weighing 165 pounds, and having brown hair and blue eyes.
Charges are pending, but Torres could face counts of aggravated assault, criminal discharge of a firearm and criminal damage to property.
Authorities thought Torres may have been headed to Hutchinson, and the GBPD has contacted the Hutchinson Police Department.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the GBPD at 620-793-4120 or Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300.