Madera man charged in shooting

Victim was guest in home

A Madera man is due to appear in court next week for an arraignment in a case involving the severe wounding of another man with a shotgun.

According to Madera Police Sgt. Thomas Burns, Job Mendoza, 29, and the victim, 28, were at Mendoza’s house in the 1800 block of Storey Road on Wednesday night when an argument broke out between the two. During the argument, Mendoza reportedly told the victim to leave, but the victim lingered on the premises, at which point Mendoza shot the victim.

“The victim didn’t leave soon enough for his liking, and he pulled out a shotgun and shot him in the leg,” Burns said.

The damage to the leg, according to Burns, was severe enough that it may require amputation.

“More than likely, the victim’s going to lose his leg from below the knee,” Burns said. “It was not your typical buckshot round; it was a slug.”

Buckshot, standard ammunition for a shotgun, is a set of pellets that are designed to disperse over a long distance. A slug, however, is a heavy, solid projectile which, when fired from a shotgun, can cause greater damage.

Mendoza was booked into Madera County Jail, and was later charged with attempted murder.

Burns said, however, that Mendoza claimed he did not shoot the victim with the intention of killing him. Mendoza also reportedly called 911 after firing the round, and admitted to the police that he was the one who shot him.

Mendoza is due to appear in court before Madera County Judge Mitchell C. Rigby for his arraignment on Monday.