The Sierra Vista Police Department arrested 35-year-old Sierra Vista resident James Hopkins Thursday evening on charges tied to a drive-by shooting that occurred in the early morning hours that same day.
The shooting occurred at about 4 a.m. on Thursday in the area of Silverwood Drive and Cottonwood Drive. SVPD officers on patrol at the time heard a succession of small arms fire but were unable to locate its source. Multiple 911 callers reported hearing a succession of gunfire in the neighborhood as well.
SVPD detectives gathered evidence at the crime scene indicating that a vehicle was pursuing another vehicle while shots were fired repeatedly at the fleeing vehicle. The shots were apparently fired while the vehicles traveled down multiple residential streets in Sierra Vista. Early Thursday morning, detectives found evidence that an occupied residential home on Cottonwood Drive was struck by gunfire. No people located inside or outside residences in the area were injured in the incident.
Detectives established covert surveillance of Hopkins early Thursday evening, after identifying him as a suspect in the shooting. With the assistance of Cochise County Sheriff’s Office detectives, SVPD investigators performed a traffic stop on Hopkins in the area of South Garden Avenue and Fry Boulevard. SVPD detectives arrested Hopkins at gunpoint without further incident at about 7:15 p.m. on Thursday.
Hopkins was charged with two counts of drive-by shooting, one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of endangerment, and seven counts of discharging a firearm within the city limits. Hopkins is being held without bond at the Cochise County Jail.
In addition, police arrested 36-year-old Sierra Vista resident Curtis Winfield and 32-year-old Casa Grande resident Rashad Daniels, who were riding with Hopkins. Winfield was charged with one count of possession of dangerous drugs, two counts of possession of illicit drug paraphernalia, and 22 counts of possession of prescription only drugs. Daniels, who is a parolee, was charged with one count of possession of marijuana and one count of possession of illicit drug paraphernalia. Winfield and Daniels were booked into Cochise County Jail.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing and SVPD detectives suspect that other residences in the area of Silverwood Drive and Cottonwood Drive may have been struck by gunfire during the drive-by shooting. Anyone observing damage to private property due to gunfire is asked to contact SVPD Detective Tom Ransford at (520) 542-7500.