Madera County SWAT arrests suspect in alleged neighbor shooting

A Madera man was arrested early Wednesday after allegedly shooting a neighbor in the face, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office said.

A Madera County SWAT team was called out to the scene on the 14000 block of Road 29 around midnight Tuesday to locate the suspect, Santiago Merino of Madera.

Several hours into the investigation, the 43-year-old Merino was found nearby. He was hpyothermic and cooperative with deputies as he was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.

The victim, a 25-year-old man, was airlifted to a hospital in Fresno. He’s expected to make a full recovery.

The sheriff’s office said it’s not exactly clear what led up to the shooting, but it appears the victim and suspect had been in a neighbor dispute and were arguing beforehand.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Madera County SWAT arrests suspect in alleged neighbor shooting."