Sources: Competition between tow truck companies led to Bronx shooting that left customer critically injured
NEW YORK -- Police sources tell CBS2 competition between tow truck companies led to an innocent customer getting shot in the head in the Bronx.
As CBS2's Zinnia Maldonado reports, the victim's car broke down in front of a storage facility along Bruckner Boulevard, and police are now reporting that man, who remains in critical condition at Lincoln Hospital, was not the intended target.
The 35-year-old man was shot in the head while sitting inside of a tow truck around 1 a.m. Saturday.
Police say the victim's car broke down at the corner of East 141st Street and Bruckner Boulevard, and while the tow truck operator was hooking up his car, a man drove by on a motorcycle, firing several shots.
Watch Zinnia Maldonado's report
Sources say the tow truck operator, who has a criminal record, was not hit, but it's believed the shooting stemmed from competition between two tow truck companies scraping for business.
"I don't feel safe here. I won't drive at night here neither," Lisa Rodriguez said.
Those in the area say sadly, they're not surprised.
"I suggest, people, that if you get stuck, call a family member, you know. Try to get out. Especially at night, try to get out the area because it's not safe," Rodriguez said.
READ MORE: NYPD: 17-year-old shot and killed in Bronx, 1 of 9 shootings in city over the weekend
There were also several other shootings in the Bronx over the weekend.
A 17-year-old was shot and killed Sunday in Mott Haven near Beekman and East 141st Street.
On Saturday, police say two suspects on a scooter shot at a group of people along Morris Avenue in Fordham Heights, striking a 17-year-old in the forehead. He remains in critical yet stable condition.
Also on Saturday, a man in the Bronx was killed in a carjacking gone wrong. NYPD say the suspect stole the victim's BMW just before midnight along Hunts Point Avenue and shot the 45-year-old in the head.
In the incident along Bruckner Boulevard, meanwhile, no arrests have been made.
Police say at this time, they can't say for sure the tow truck driver was the intended target, but they are confident the man shot was an innocent bystander.
