Gunfire leads to DUI arrest
For The Madera Tribune
Andres Bartolo of Madera is given a breathalyzer test by a police officer to test for the presence of alcohol early Thursday morning, after police reportedly found him driving erratically on Gateway Drive. Bartolo was found to be under the influence of alcohol and arrested on charges of DUI. Police also found a .38 caliber pistol in the car, and tracked it back to gunshots recently fired into the air, near the 300 block of Monterey Street.
A Madera man was arrested early Thursday morning after firing gunshots into the air in front of a neighbor’s house in the 300 block of Monterey Street just south of Olive Avenue and then fleeing the scene, according to the Madera Police Department. No injuries were reported.
Andres Bartolo of Madera was arrested and charged with DUI and the negligent discharge of a firearm.
Witnesses told police they heard the multiple gunshots about 4 a.m. and saw a dark blue sedan, possibly a Nissan, fleeing the scene of the gunshots.
Officers spotted a Nissan matching the description of the same vehicle a few minutes later driving recklessly on Gateway Drive, and found the driver of the car, Bartolo, in possession of a .38 caliber pistol.
The motive for the gunshots and the shooting remain under investigation. Officers said Bartolo could also potentially face other charges in the incident. Anyone with information on the shooting incident is asked to call Madera Police Dispatch at 675-4220. The line is answered at all hours, every day.
