3 people shot on East Side

The shootings occurred around the same time and in the same area.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Police are investigating two East Side shootings they believe are connected, although the victims and witnesses claim they're not, police said.
Three victims were taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center, one in critical condition.
Jesus Rodriguez, 38, of Detroit Avenue was in critical condition Friday night. Antonio Torres, 34, of First Street was in stable condition. Sandra Aponte, 51, of First Street, was treated.
Police said Rodriguez was shot in the left arm, left hand and left chest area. Torres and Aponte both suffered gunshot wounds to their right thighs and right feet.
The shootings occurred around the same time -- 3 p.m. Friday, and in the same area -- near Shehy Street, police said.
Police said when they responded to a report of gunfire at Truesdale Avenue and Shehy, they heard 20 to 30 gunshots coming from Ayers Street. They drove around the corner and started heading north on Ayers and saw a blue van back down the west side of the street from 184 Ayers to the east side of the street in front of 225 Ayers.
Two women left the van and helped Antonio Torres from the driveway next to the porch into the rear passenger seat. One officer approached the van as others were arriving. Police found the van had several bullet holes in it.
Torres told police he was standing outside the van parked just south of 184 Ayers. He heard gunfire and ran to the driveway of 225 Ayers where he said he was shot. He said he did not see anyone shooting or see any vehicles.
Police also found broken glass in front of 184 Ayers, 25 shell casings in the driveway and on the porch of 184 Ayers, and a revolver in the driveway area where Torres was lying before being helped into the van.
Third victim
Also around 3 p.m., police on routine patrol followed a maroon Cadillac driving north in a reckless manner on Fifth Avenue, then turning west onto Gypsy Lane at a high rate of speed. Police chased the car with lights and sirens running, and the car turned into the parking lot of Forum Health Northside Medical Center.
The driver said his stepfather had been shot. Police found Rodriguez in the front passenger seat. Rodriguez was later taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center, where he was found to be in possession of heroin, police said.
The driver said he and his stepfather were parked in the lot of the old gas station at Shehy and Wilson when a Hispanic woman drove up in a black Ford Expedition, got out and asked his stepfather if he had her $100.
They continued to argue, the driver said, and a black man got out of the Expedition and began to fire a semi-automatic handgun at his stepfather. He said he shoved his stepfather down onto the passenger seat and drove to the hospital.