Massive search for armed suspect part of shooting investigation; two men arrested

An update on the heavy police activity we reported on yesterday in El Centro.

After talking to authorities we learned that the suspect search was part of a bigger investigation involving a shooting reported early Tuesday morning.

Police tell us the man they were looking for was 33 year-old Johnny Lee Degeeter, of El Centro.

He was reported to be a victim in the shooting but he was not severely wounded because he had a knife in his back pocket that blocked the bullet from piercing his skin.

“Yesterday at about 6:50 in the morning we received a call of shots fired in the area of 6th and Main. Officers responded to the area and were able to locate a witness and caller information had stated that a subject had been shot at, they had left the area since then, and the subject had left in a white Crown Victoria, at that time,” said Detective Dorian Meneses with the El Centro Police Department.

The subject who was shot at was Degeeter, he was arrested and booked at the county jail, he faces charges of resisting and delaying a police officer, felon in possession of a handgun and assault with a deadly weapon.

Degeeter had fled from a vehicle on foot in the area of 4th Street and Lenrey Avenue. Officers say he discarded a handgun that was later recovered by police.

Officials were able to identify Degeeter on video surveillance from a nearby business.

“They were able to identify Mr. Johnny Degeeter as the victim in the incident, in the earlier incident, and Mr. Mario Vasquez, who was later identified as possibly being the person that had been in the white vehicle and shot at Mr. Degeeter at 6th and Main,” added Meneses.

Mario Vasquez, 20 year-old resident of El Centro had escaped detectives after they lost him in traffic, but was ultimately detained by Mexican authorities as he attempted to enter Mexico. He is facing charges for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

At around 1:40 p.m., A manhunt that lasted for about an hour ensued looking for Degeeter, he was taken into custody after being detained in a residential area.

A school lockdown was issued for nearby schools.

“A firearm had been located and it was possibly related to the shooting in the morning, those precautions were taken to make sure that nobody else was hurt and that he was detained as safely as possible,” explained Meneses.

Investigators are still looking for a motive to why Degeeter was running since he appeared to be the victim and are looking to see if this incident is connected to other shootings in the area.