Assailants sought in road rage incident

Oxnard police are searching for the men involved in a road rage incident in which a 10-year-old girl was shot in the face.

The girl, who was struck in the left cheek Wednesday night, was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center, where police were notified of the incident.

“Because of the angle of the shot, the bullet hit below the left eye but, fortunately, it did not penetrate the skull,” said police spokesman David Keith. The girl was treated and released.

Keith said the girl’s 27-year-old mother and 25-year-old uncle, who also were in the car, were not injured.

The Oxnard family was driving near the intersection of Camino del Sol and North Rose Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. when they got into a traffic altercation with a silver or gray sedan carrying three or four men, described as Latinos in their 20s with shaved heads.

“I don’t know if somebody cut somebody else off or made them change lanes, but there was some sort of traffic issue,” Keith said. “I don’t know if there were words or hand gestures exchanged.”

The victims, whom police did not identify to guard their safety, then drove east on Camino del Sol, and by the time they reached Kohala Street, the sedan pulled next to them and one of the occupants fired at least two shots.

Once the girl’s mother and uncle realized that she had been shot, they drove less than two miles to the hospital’s emergency room.

Witnesses or people with information about the shooting are asked to call Det. Paul Knapp at (805) 385-7796.

They also can anonymously call CrimeStoppers at (805) 385-TALK.

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