LANCASTER — A police investigation of a shots-fired incident led to an arrest on a weapons charge for a Lancaster man Tuesday night, according to Lancaster City Police.
Raul Diaz-Arroyo, 23, was charged with possession of a firearm with an altered or obliterated serial number and carrying a firearm without a license after police stopped his vehicle near the area where gunshots were heard, police say.
The incident happened at 9:42 p.m. Two Lancaster police officers were in the area of King Elementary School on the 400 block of Rockland Street when they heard multiple shots fired from west of their position. As the officers moved in the direction of the shots, they observed a dark Mazda sedan driving the wrong way on Chester Street before turning south onto South Duke Street.
Based on the close proximity of the vehicle to the area where the shots were heard, the officers suspected the Mazda might have been involved in the incident. Police stopped the vehicle. The Diaz-Arroyo was sitting in the front passenger seat, and told police there was a handgun under the seat. Police recovered the weapon and observed that one of its serial numbers had allegedly been obliterated. Diaz-Arroyo did not have a concealed carry permit, according to police.
Diaz-Arroyo was arrested on the weapons charges, held for arraignment and committed to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $24,000 bail.
While the vehicle stop was being conducted, other officers went to the area of the 500 block of Green Street, where the report of gunfire originated. They located a 29-year-old man with a graze wound to his left ankle, according to the police report. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment. His injury was not believed to be life-threatening, according to police.
According to witnesses, the gunfire came from an occupant of a dark-colored Honda, which had passed through the 500 block of Green Street. Witnesses told police a passenger in the Honda reached out of an open window and fired several shots from a handgun. The driver and occupants then fled the scene in the vehicle, according to witnesses.
The investigation of the incident is still ongoing, police say. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lancaster City Police at (717)735-3300 or Lancaster Crime Stoppers at (800) 322-1913.
