Beverly man pleads not guilty in drive-by shooting case

EPHRATA — A Beverly man has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he took part in a drive-by-shooting in Schawana in July.

Carlos Mendoza, 21, pleaded not guilty to first-degree assault and drive-by shooting in Grant County Superior Court on Tuesday. Grant County Superior Court Judge John Knodell set Mendoza’s trial date for Nov. 12.

On July 19, at about 7:50 pm. deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a drive-by-shooting in the Schawana area, according to police records.

Deputies learned the shooting was on Third Avenue and the suspect vehicle, a brown Cadillac, had left the scene and fled toward state Route 243. The sheriff’s office requested the Mattawa Police Department head north on state Route 243, in the direction of Schawana, and search for the suspect vehicle.

An officer from the MPD later advised they were behind the vehicle in Mattawa and the driver had fled to the 200 block of Fourth Street. The front passenger in the vehicle, Mendoza, reportedly jumped out of the moving vehicle and fled the scene on foot.

The driver of the vehicle, who was identified as Antonio Martinez, 18, of Mattawa, reportedly stayed in the vehicle. The victim in the drive-by-shooting told law enforcement officers Mendoza was the shooter and Martinez was the driver of the brown Cadillac.

The victim said he was at a grocery store on B Street Southwest and got into a physical altercation with Mendoza. He said he left the store with three other people in a vehicle.

The victim reportedly stated that when the car turned onto Second Avenue Southwest he heard gunshots. He said the Cadillac continued to chase them until they got to his house and the gunshots continued as all of the occupants in the vehicle were getting out to take cover, according to police records.

There were reportedly a five-year-old and seven-year-old in the driveway when Mendoza was shooting, but no one was injured in the incident.

The victim reported knowing both Mendoza and Martinez by sight and allegedly admitted to having problems with both of them in the past.

Video surveillance of the altercation at the grocery store reportedly shows the Mendoza throwing a punch at the victim. In addition, the video also reportedly shows Mendoza get into the front passenger seat of the Cadillac and open up the glove box and pull out something.

Martinez was booked into the Grant County Jail for suspicion of drive-by shooting and first-degree assault.