Shooting suspect surrenders

A suspect is in custody following a Sunday, March 10, shooting at a residence on Country Forest Drive, Byhalia, according to Marshall County Sheriff Kenny Dickerson.

Officers responded to the call to find the victim had received multiple gunshot wounds to the arms, shoulders and abdomen.

Dickerson said the victim was sitting in a vehicle at the address with a young child in the seat beside him, when the suspect, Juan Antonio Cruz-Gutierrez, 20, of Vernon Cove, Memphis, Tenn., fired as many as nine rounds with a large caliber handgun into the driver’s side window.

The victim was airlifted to the Regional One Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn., and later underwent a number of operations. He was still alive in the medical facility as of Tuesday morning.

Investigators took statements from witnesses on the scene who positively identified Gutierrez as the assailant, the sheriff said.

Gutierrez, who fled the scene, surrendered to Marshall County authorities around 4 p.m. Tuesday. He has been charged with attempted murder and felonious child abuse for child endangerment, Dickerson said. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday in justice court.

The case is being investigated with the help of surrounding agencies including the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, the Memphis Police Department and the Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force which helped locate an individual in the vehicle with Gutierrez who also identified the suspect.

“We appreciate the agencies who help us with investigations,” Dickerson said.

Anyone who has information on this criminal case or others is urged to call investigators at the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department at 662-252-1311.

Record serial numbers

This is the time of year when weather is warming up and thieves are driving through areas looking to take property such as ATVs, lawn mowers, trailers, boats and other lawn equipment, according to Maj. Kelly McMillen.

Residents are encouraged to take photographs of their outdoor equipment and to record their serial numbers in case their property is stolen, he said.

Stolen equipment is often recovered during investigations and the items are listed on NCIC as stolen. Investigators then can identify the owners using these serial numbers and return the items that are recovered, McMillen said.