Victim of Sunset Cliffs Shooting was Kidnapped, Witnessed Homicide

The mother of a 19-year-old woman who was shot three times and left for dead in the ocean beneath Sunset Cliffs said her attackers had kidnapped her 24 hours prior, and shot and killed another man before shooting her.The teen was shot in her neck and upper body on April 12 in what police said was a targeted attack. Investigators offered few details at the time because the shooting was connected to other serious crimes. More Than a Dozen Displaced by Fire at Santee Apartment Complex Nearly one month later, “Jill,” the mother of the now-quadriplegic victim, “Mya,” explained what led up to the shooting and how her daughter’s strength in the wake of the attack helped land the three people responsible in jail.“I got the first phone call saying my daughter was being kidnapped and being held for ransom,” Jill said. Crews Await Daylight to Assess Inaccessible Brush Fire Jill tried frantically to help her daughter from thousands of miles away. She said Mya was asking for $2,500.“My daughter would never call me asking for that kind of money, because it was her voice, she was calling me, but I could hear people in the background telling her what to say,” Jill said. Councilwoman Says No More Scooters on MB Boardwalk For 24 hours leading up to the shooting, Mya was held by her kidnappers, one of whom she was familiar with.Jill said that Mya was in the back seat of her captors’ car when they pulled up alongside another driver and shot him in the head.The victim, later identified as 59-year-old Mario Serhan, was found dead after multiple people called 911 to report a driver slumped over the wheel of an SUV that coasted through a Chula Vista intersection.Prosecutors said the group celebrated the killing of Serhan, who was shot because he accidentally made eye contact with the gunman.The day after Serhan was killed, Mya was brought to Sunset Cliffs where she was shot. She was on life support for nine days and now only has feeling from her chest up.Despite her physical condition, her biggest concern when she woke up from a coma wasn’t herself.She identified her kidnappers to police and 29-year-old Britney Canal, 39-year-old Cesar Alvarado, and 27-year-old Michael Pedraza, all known gang members, were arrested May 4.Jill said Mya met Pedraza, known as “Monster,” at a Narcotics Anonymous convention.The trio was denied bail on Monday and could all face life in prison if found guilty on all charges related to the two-day crime spree.Getting back to her hometown with her mom is going to be costly. Since she is quadriplegic, she has to travel in a private plane. A GoFundMe Page has been set up to help with the cost. 
Source: NBC San Diego