High-risk search made in March 14 shooting

A high-risk search warrant was served by the Red Bluff police at a home on Viola Avenue just south of Corning on Thursday — part of an investigation into the March 14 gang-related shooting that occurred on Park Avenue in Red Bluff.

In that incident, the 27-year-old man was shot in the back of his leg right after midnight following a confrontation with an Hispanic man, said police.

Police have not released the name of the shooting victim, who was treated at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital and released.

Jaimie Walberg, a neighbor of the Viola Avenue residence, said she believes police were looking for 25-year-old Emanuel Armando Cervantes, who lives at the Viola Avenue home with his father and mother.

"He has quite a background with police," she said.

On Feb. 26, Cervantes was charged with transportation and possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a dirk or dagger.

In December, he was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a felon and failure to appear in court. Those felony cases are still open.

Cervantes pleaded no contest to a charge of felony assault in July 2009 and was sentenced to two years in state prison, according to Tehama County Superior Court documents.

Red Bluff police would not confirm if Cervantes was the person they were looking for, but the man's father, Armando Cervantes, said he believed that to be the case.

"This is a legal matter and we are filing a lawsuit against law enforcement in this county, so I can't say anything else," Cervantes said.

He said his son was "camping when police came to my home, he doesn't know anything about this and we can't contact him."

Cervantes said the family has been living in the area for six years and has had nothing but problems with the police.

Another neighbor to the Cervantes family, who asked to remain anonymous, said about 7 a.m. on Thursday morning she heard police calling out for everyone in the Cervantes residence to "come out or we are sending in a police dog."

A California Highway Patrol helicopter circled the residence during the search and an ambulance and emergency personnel were on stand-by.

Red Bluff police would not release whether anything was seized from the residence or what led them to issue the warrant.