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A senior citizen was attacked and shot multiple times in the Cayo District early this morning as he was getting ready to drive the short distance from his home to his business. You see, 73 year old Natalio Castaneda runs a tortilla factory in the twin town - so when he says going to work early in the morning - it's at about 2:00 am when the tortilla furnace is just striking up.
That's when he was preyed upon by ruthless gunmen who may have also been robber.s.
Jomarie Lanza went west to find out more:
72 year old Natalio Castaneda, a well known business man and avid church goer was the victim of a shooting and home invasion in Santa Elena Cayo just after 2:00 this morning. He was shot six times while leaving his home on Carmen Street.
The community was shocked to discover that the elderly man had been targeted and the question lingers as to why. We spoke with one of the neighbors off camera today.
Neighbor
"The first shot was just a bang bang bang four shots one behind the next. I wasn't feeling good so I went to laydown in my bed and the first thing when I heard it was my son my mind went on. You know but I didn't fall asleep right away cause I wasn't feeling well then I heard vehicles coming and the cycle left from by the basketball court after a while. After the shooting the cycle left."
Eyewitnesses say that the shooters were two men on a motorcycle who then fled through a cracked fence near the basketball court.
Castaneda owns NLS Tortilla factory just a stone's throw away from his home.
Clifford Gordon who has been working there for 17 years told us that he didn't learn that his employer had been shot until this morning:
Clifford Gordon, Sales Associate
"Well this morning when I came into work around 7:30, 8:00 some people off the streets told me that my boss get shot you know and I didn't know because I don't have a phone for them to inform me you know. So when I came here I saw the place closed then I knew that it was true that my boss got shot."
Reporter:
"You don't know why exactly anyone would want to target him? You said you work for the company for 17 years do you know if he takes all the cash to his house at the end of the day or?"
Clifford Gordon, Sales Associate
"No I don't know that about that part you know but I know he's a very cool guy you know he's a cool boss he always runs jokes you know so I don't know why someone would want to harm him."
According to other residents, the area is fairly safe, and this is the first time something as violent as this has happened to one of their elders.
Mayor Earl Trapp is concerned about the number of strange faces being seen within the community, which he believes may be the cause of several other robberies and violent crimes in the town.
Earl Trapp, Mayor or SE SI
"I know of some incidents that happened in the welcome center last week where there are some strange faces so I personally spoke to the OC here and he said that he would have upped the patrol or the police in that area. I Can tell you that a couple days later there was a group of 9 people that went to steal a motorcycle but the security called and police came and apprehended everyone. So I believe that the increased numbers of strange faces in this town could be a continuation factor to the little spike of crimes that we have been hearing."
"So it means that not only business people but all residents need to be more vigilant when they are leaving their homes or coming back home. And if they see strange faces or something that looks suspicious then they need to call a police officer or call the police station. Because I think that crime is everyone's business so we have to take that collective and concerted efforts and work together."
Police have not yet detained anyone for questioning. Castaneda remains in critical condition at the Western Regional Hospital.
Castaneda is the owner of a licensed firearm - but police have been unable to find it - so they are looking at the possibility that it may have been stolen.
