Alleged Center Street Shooter Turns Himself In

Julio Gonzales, 30, who the Manchester Police Department identified as the alleged shooter in an attempted at Westside Auto Sales Tuesday evening, turned himself in on Friday. 

Gonzales, of 120 Hammer St. 2E, East Hartford, is facing charges of first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal use of a firearm, criminal possession of a pistol or revolver, unlawful discharge of a firearm, second-degree reckless endangerment and threatening. He is being held on a $350,000 bond and was arraigned at the Manchester Superior Court on Center Street Friday morning. 

According to police, Gonzales was one of who went to Westside Auto Sales at 634 Center St. Tuesday at approximately 5:30 p.m. to speak with the shop owner about a vehicle that one had previously purchased from the owner when the man worked at a different dealership. The vehicle had a nearly $3,000 lien on it due to unpaid parking tickets. Police said one of the three men pulled a gun and shot off a round into the floor before shooting the Westside Auto owner in the knee. The three men then fled the scene.

The shop owner was taken to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford for treatment for a non-life threatening injury.

Police arrested Angel Soto, 32, of Vernon Ave. Apt. 205, Hartford, in conjunction with the shooting Wednesday and charged him with being an accessory to first-degree robbery, an accessory to first-degree assault and interfering with a police officer. Manchester Police Lt. Chris Davis said that Soto was neither the shooter nor the vehicle owner.

Police said Friday that the third man, whom they declined to identify, had not been arrested yet.