Two Coachella men were in custody and a third was at large Sunday, following gunfire, a vehicle chase and a search in the wee hours of the morning.
Arturo Hernandez, 35, and Mario Hernandez, 34, were booked into the county jail on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm and other felonies, following the chase, which began about 2:25 a.m., according to Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Adam Elders.
It was unclear if the men were brothers or otherwise related.
The incident began when patrol deputies from the sheriff's Coachella station heard a gunshot and spotted a dark-colored SUV leaving the area of Frederick Street, near Avenue 52, in Coachella, Elders wrote in a news release.
The deputies tried to stop the vehicle but the driver would not yield and a chase ensued, ending at a cul-de-sac on Calle Camacho, south of Avenue 53, the sergeant said.
Two men ran off but Mario Hernandez was immediately detained.
He was addtionally to be booked on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime.
A recently discharged shotgun was found in the vehicle, the sergeant said.
A search of the area yielded the capture of the driver, identified as Arturo Hernandez, who was additionally to be booked on suspicion of felony evading peace officers in a motor vehicle, conspiracy to commit a crime and cocaine possession, Elders said.
The third person was not found.
