CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — The Canyon County Sheriff's Office says an Oregon man is in the Canyon County Jail after stealing a vehicle and shooting a 48-year-old Payette County man.
Around 6:45 Thursday night, Canyon County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the area of Old Hwy 30 and Farmway Road to try and find a vehicle that had been stolen from a gas station in Payette County. The vehicle, a Dodge pickup, was being followed by the reporting party, according to police.
As deputies arrived, they found the stolen vehicle nearly Old Hwy 30 and Willis Road. The pickup yielded to deputies and the driver, Gregory Escobedo Jr., of Ontario, Oregon, was taken into custody without incident.
While deputies were dealing with Escobedo and the stolen truck, information was given to dispatch that the reporting party had been injured after contacting the stolen vehicle. Deputies and medical personnel responded and found a 48-year-old Payette County man had suffered a gunshot wound, according to police. The man was taken to a Boise hospital in serious condition.
Further investigation showed the victim watched his vehicle be stolen and got a ride from another person and they followed the stolen pickup into Canyon County. The pickup stopped and the victim confronted Escobedo. During that interaction, police say the victim was shot and a pistol was found in the stolen vehicle when Escobedo was taken into custody.
Gregory Escobedo Jr. is currently in custody at the Canyon County Detention Center charged with Grand Theft, Aggravated Battery, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Multiple agencies assisted on this call including the Payette County Sheriff’s Office, Middleton Police Department, Middleton Fire Department and Canyon County Paramedics.
The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.
