Tijuana municipal police arrested a 28-year-old man on Saturday after he opened fire at least 12 times at a commercial plaza in the Las Torres neighborhood, sending shoppers running for cover and damaging storefronts and a parked car.
The suspect, identified as Elvin Alberto, allegedly targeted another man at Plaza Santa Anita, chasing him through the shopping center toward a nearby supermarket while firing repeatedly. Stray rounds struck a parked Chevrolet Aveo, shattered a furniture store window, and damaged appliances on display inside the shop.
Bystander Injured While Fleeing Gunfire
A 36-year-old bystander suffered a head injury during the attack, though not from a bullet. The man hit a metal structure while running for cover as the shots rang out. No other injuries were reported, and the intended target managed to escape.
After emptying his weapon, Elvin Alberto fled the scene on an Italika motorcycle. Officers from the Tijuana municipal police gave chase and caught him near the La Encantada bridge, a short distance from the plaza.
Suspect Faces Attempted Homicide Charges
Police turned the suspect over to the FGE (Fiscalía General del Estado, Baja California’s state attorney general’s office). The FGE’s Homicide Unit responded to the scene to process evidence, and prosecutors are pursuing attempted homicide charges.
Las Torres sits in Tijuana’s eastern sprawl, well outside the downtown tourist zone and the Zona Río commercial district more familiar to cross-border visitors. Plaza Santa Anita is the type of neighborhood strip mall common throughout Tijuana’s residential colonias, home to furniture shops, small grocery stores, and everyday services.
The shooting adds to Tijuana’s persistent gun violence problem. The city recorded a fresh wave of cartel-related attacks in February 2026, when vehicles and businesses were set ablaze across multiple neighborhoods. Saturday’s incident, while smaller in scale, carried the same risk of harm to ordinary people going about daily errands.
The original report was published by Punto Norte on May 3, 2026.