Former Telemundo reporter accused of racially targeting Hispanic men in San Diego shootings

A former San Diego television reporter is facing charges after allegedly carrying out multiple shootings in which he asked victims what their ethnicity was before opening fire.

46-year-old Ricardo Berron, a former reporter for Telemundo, was arrested on March 10 in connection with two separate shootings in San Diego County. He was taken into custody at San Diego International Airport while attempting to leave for vacation. He has been released on bail. 

Investigators allege that Berron carried out the shootings on Palomar Mountain. In both incidents, the victims were Hispanic, and Berron allegedly asked each individual about their ethnicity before firing.

One of the victims, Joseph Valentino, described the October encounter in an interview with Fox 5 San Diego, where he detailed how he looked over his shoulder and saw the silhouette of a person holding a gun to his head.

“He asked me if I was Mexican. I responded yes. At that point, I saw him zero in on my head, and instinctively turned to the right. I heard the shot - it missed my face and caught my arm,” Valentino said.

Valentino said he was able to drive away after the shooting, though a second shot struck one of his car’s tires. He later received medical treatment, and doctors were able to save his arm.

Law enforcement officials believe the attack may be connected to a separate incident in February, in which another man was approached by the suspect, questioned about his identity, and then had a shot fired through his driver’s side window. That victim was not injured in the shooting.

Berron’s Chula Vista home was searched, where a 9mm handgun believed to be used in one of the shootings was taken into evidence. Berron has been charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and released on bail. Fox 5 San Diego asked him for comment, which he refused, though his wife said that law enforcement got the wrong suspect.