Pinole: Bowling alley shooting suspect arrested

PINOLE — A 19-year-old sought in connection with a shooting outside a bowling alley that wounded two people and damaged multiple vehicles earlier this year was arrested this week, authorities said.

Around 8:15 p.m. March 27, police responded to reports of a shooting outside Pinole Valley Lanes, 1580 Pinole Valley Rd. When officers arrived, they found two people suffering from gunshot wounds. A shooting suspect, initially described only as male with a long ponytail and wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, managed to evade a police perimeter.

Investigators said they learned that a fight inside the bowling alley between two groups of people later spread outside, where a male pulled out a gun and fired shots that injured people and damaged vehicles.

Shortly after the shooting, police named Sirjantz Moliga as a person of interest, and U.S. Marshals took him into custody around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at a Hayward address.

In a statement Tuesday, police credited surveillance video footage and witness statements with helping to identify Moliga, who was booked into Martinez county jail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon using a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon.

Moliga was listed in custody Wednesday afternoon on $900,000 bail, with no listed hearing dates in a records check. A Contra Costa County District Attorney’s spokesman said Tuesday that prosecutors had received and were reviewing case information, with a charging decision to come at a later date.

Anyone with information may call Pinole police at 510-724-1111 and reference case No. 2022-0449.

Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.

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