SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Police Department announced it has made three new arrests in connection to the string of gel pellet gun attacks in Hillcrest from over the summer. The attacks were reported right on University Avenue, leaving several victims.
But one victim says he can breathe a sigh of relief.
"It brings me some relief knowing that there's three more people off the streets that were terrorizing our community," says Eddie Reynoso.
- We Follow Through: Impact of Smart Streetlights following possible hate crimes in Hillcrest
He was hit in the eye back in May in one of these attacks that police are investigating as possible hate crimes.
"This brings up a range of emotions," he says. "I'm obviously angry, I'm grieving, but I also feel a lot of sadness.”
Months later, in September, more attacks were reported, leaving more victims. The latest suspects, all 19-years-old, now face multiple hate crime related charges related to the series of attacks.
"You know, you can call it a gel pellet gun, a BB gun, a toy gun -- but at the end of the day, they were terrorizing our community," Reynoso says.
SDPD identified the suspects as Anthony Lopez-Quiniones, Arturo Herrera-Sustaita and Angelo Nathaniel Aron.
While police work to bring those responsible for these attacks to justice, for victims like Reynos, it's had a lasting impact on his life.
"The first, I'd say, two months were extremely difficult," he says.
That attack and the injuries caused by it completely changed his life.
"I went into therapy, and in August, I left my job so that I can check into an intensive outpatient program. And I've been very vocal. I ended up homeless, living out of my car," Reynoso says.
Reynoso tells me he's worked to turn his life around during this healing journey but expressed his concern these young suspects won't get that chance.
"Being charged with felonies, you know, that's gonna affect their entire life and not just them but their loved ones -- equally, if not more than it's affected someone like myself who's a victim," he says. "It's sad because it makes me wonder what in their life would lead them to go hunt humans down."
The three suspects are set to be arraigned next week.
SDPD credited the automated license plate readers for leading to the arrests.
