Girlfriend of suspect sought in Carlsbad hospital shooting. Both 'armed and dangerous'
Police are looking for the girlfriend of a man they said shot another man last week in a parking lot near the Carlsbad Medical Center.
Angelina Guevara, 30, was charged with five felonies including accessory to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, two counts of accessory aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering and harboring a felon.
Police said Guevara was likely with Ruben Lugo Jr., who they said was believed to have shot and injured a 22-year-old man after a conflict on Jan. 24 in the 2400 block of West Pierce Street, outside a building next to the hospital.
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The man shot was reported in stable condition the day after the incident.
Lugo Jr. fled the scene of the shooting, police said, and both he and Guevara were considered “armed and dangerous.”
Neither were yet arrested as of Monday, according to court and jail records.
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Lugo Jr. was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and another felony charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, along with a misdemeanor charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Investigators located a vehicle they believe was driven by Guevara to aid Lujo Jr. in escaping the scene after the shooting, a silver Ford Escape found in the 800 block of Hueco Street.
Police said gunshot residue was found consistent with the suspect shooting with his left hand as he was observed in surveillance footage.
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Police also found household items like loose TVs and rotting food in the car, prompting a call to the Children, Youth and Families Department as to the condition of Guevara’s children, read the criminal complaint.
A CYFD investigation was previously made into the welfare of the children, with a visit to the woman’s home, but the Department was unable to contact the two suspects, read the complaint, or evaluate the children.
Guevara was evicted from the home, police said.
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Police also said on Jan. 26, a resident at an apartment on Lake Street was in the process of moving when he found a man and woman, who police believed were Lugo Jr. and Guevara, in the apartment.
The man told police the couple said they thought the apartment was vacant and left, the complaint read.
The resident told police he saw photos of the two suspects on social media posted in connection with the shooting and provided photos of them from his apartment which police identified as Lugo Jr. and Guevara, read the complaint.
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“I have determined that Angelina appears to be a wiling participant in these crimes, as she provided transportation to and from the hospital in the shooting incident and accompanies Ruben as he broke into a vacant apartment to squat and hide,” read the criminal complaint.
Lugo is also wanted for felony counts of shooting at or from a motor vehicle not resulting in great bodily harm, possession of a firearm by a felon, and a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon, stemming from an incident on Dec. 14, 2023.
He was arrested on those charges Dec. 15, 2023 but didn’t show up to his arraignment scheduled for Jan. 23, and another warrant was issued for his arrest.
In that case, police said Lugo Jr. was observed firing a gun toward an apartment building near the corner of Church and Fifth streets and was identified by a witness in a lineup of photos.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Suspect, girlfriend both sought in Carlsbad hospital shooting
