Two people arrested following shootings and brief pursuit – Red Bluff Daily News

Tehama County Sheriff's Office K9 Silas is pictured. (Contributed)

Two men were arrested Saturday afternoon following two reported shootings and a short chase in the Red Bluff neighborhood that ended with a cornhole tournament.

According to the Tehama County Sheriff's Office, deputies, along with officers from the Red Bluff Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire Department, responded to Adobe Road in North Red Bluff, regarding a reported shooting.

According to a TCSO Facebook post, law enforcement was checking the area when they spotted shell casings in the street near a residence that had bullet holes in the front of the home. The release also said law enforcement had determined that an unknown suspect fired a 9mm handgun at a home and then followed a lead on a suspect.

As deputies were following that lead, another call of shots fired came in, this one not far from the initial location off Adobe Road. Deputies say the person reporting the report said the vehicle and its occupants were the same as when the initial shooting occurred.

Red Bluff police officers and California Highway Patrol officers were on scene shortly after the call. According to TCSO, these officers relayed a partial license plate to the vehicle in which direction it was heading.

The police attempted to stop the vehicle. However, the driver allegedly did not yield to the flashing lights and sirens of the patrol vehicles. The occupants allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase through a small neighborhood in Red Bluff.

The chase ultimately ended when the two occupants of the vehicle fled on foot from law enforcement. According to TCSO, a sheriff's deputy K9 was one of the primary pursuit vehicles. The two suspects allegedly fled to a local restaurant, which was hosting a cornhole tournament attended by many children, including many children.

TCSO says the dog handler recognized the threat and released K9 Silas to apprehend the suspects, later identified as Ben Meister and Eric Mendiola.

According to TCSO, both men suffered minor injuries when Silas apprehended them. No other injuries were reported as a result of the chase or shooting.

Both men were taken into custody and booked into the Tehama County Jail on charges including child endangerment, shooting into an occupied dwelling, felon in possession of a firearm, resisting an Police K9, battery on a peace officer and other charges.

The Tehama County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the Red Bluff Police Department, California Highway Patrol and CalFire Police for their assistance in this investigation. They also thanked citizens at the scene for their assistance in arresting the suspects.