Suspected South Bay Pellet Gun Shooter Arrested: Cops

SAN JOSÉ, CA — A serial South Bay pellet gun shooter was arrested Tuesday, San José police said in a news release.

Nicholas Montoya, 38 of Campbell, was arrested in connection with seven shootings going back to mid-April – six in San José and one in Campbell – several of which caused serious injuries, according to police.

Six of his seven victims were females, including a 15-year-old who suffered a collapsed lung in a June 10 attack, The Mercury News reports.

Montoya’s victims ranged in age from 9 to 56 years old, police said.

“In all seven incidents, the victims were struck with high velocity projectiles believed to be pellets,” police said. “In several of these cases, doctors declined to remove these projectiles from the victims due to the inherent risk posed by the procedure.”

The June 10 attack was among three in a 45-minute period, according to police.

“All three victims were struck by a lead pellet fired from a high-powered air rifle,” police said in a statement.

“The following day, another victim was struck by a pellet. In response to these incidents, the San José Police Department formed an internal Task Force to identify and apprehend the suspect.”

The investigation tied Montoya to three additional incidents going back to April 14, police said.

The Campbell Police Department and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office collaborated with the SJPD in what the agency described as an “exhaustive” probe.

“Detectives developed information that implicated Nicholas Montoya as the suspect in the shootings,” police said. “This information included a unique suspect vehicle description as well as evidence seized via search warrants.”

Montoya was arrested at his Campbell home, police said.

Montoya is facing seven felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon among other charges, police said.

He did not enter a plea at his arraignment and will remain in custody until his next court appearance Sept. 14, The Mercury News reports.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Martinez #4533 or Detective Tong #4774 of the San José Police Department’s Assaults Unit via email: 4533@sanjoseca.gov and/or 4774@sanjoseca.gov or at 408-537-1353.

Crime tips can be submitted anonymously by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or online by visiting here.

Anyone who submits information that leads to an arrest in this case is eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.