Suspect arrested after morning of Clark County drive-by shootings
A suspect was arrested early Tuesday morning after a series of drive-by shootings around Clark County, authorities said.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A suspect was arrested early Tuesday morning after a string of drive-by shootings in Clark County, authorities said.
According to the Clark County Sheriff's Office, the incident began just after 1:40 a.m. when reports came in about gunshots heard near Northeast Saint Johns Road and Northeast LaLonde Drive.
A nearby homeowner found a video on their home surveillance system of a car entering the parking lot of the Seventh Day Adventist Church at 9711 Northeast Saint Johns Road just before the shots were heard and authorities said they found numerous 9mm bullet casings in the lot and damage to the front of the church building.
About 15 minutes after the first shots were reported, the Sheriff's Office said that more shots were reported near the Kessid Columbia Church at 907 NW 99th Street. When deputies arrived at that scene they said they saw the church's windows had been damaged and there were bullets nearby and damaging an unoccupied car.
Shortly after 2 a.m., while officers were still investigating the Seventh Day Adventist Church, a deputy reported seeing a car driving with all of its lights off on Northeast 99th Street. The car sped off as soon as the deputy began following.
Authorities said they didn't attempt to stop the vehicle, but they did manage to get the license plate, which they said was registered to a house in Felida.
Deputies began watching the house but said they saw no sign of the suspect car, so they called the registered owner who told them he was out of town but his wife and adult son should've been home.
After making contact with the wife at home, authorities said they learned that the adult son was missing and an empty pistol case was found at the home.
Just before 3:30 a.m., deputies at the Kessid Columbia Church said they heard a gunshot from near Columbia River High School, and after rushing over they found a car with a bullet hole in the windshield.
A few minutes later, authorities said the blacked-out car was seen driving into the neighborhood but once again took off when deputies were seen.
Deputies began to roam the area watching for the car eventually spotting it near Northwest 139th Street and Northwest 2nd Avenue where the car took off onto Interstate 5.
The car continued eluding but deputies said they were eventually able to stop the car with spike strips which is when the suspect got out and tried to run away.
Eventually, deputies took the suspect, later identified as Aleksey Suturin, 23, of Vancouver, into custody.
At the time of the arrest, authorities said that Suturin was wearing body armor under a jacket with several 9mm pistol magazines attached.
In the car, deputies said they found a pistol sitting on the driver's seat floorboard and loose rounds lying on the front seats.
Suturin was booked on charges including two counts of drive-by shooting, two counts of first-degree malicious mischief, one count of second-degree malicious mischief, one count of attempt to elude and two counts of reckless driving.
The incident remains under investigation authorities said.