Suspect in Exeter drive-by shooting back in custody

EXETER, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's been more than a month since a drive-by shooting in Exeter left a 14-year-old girl with a bullet in her back.

Eighteen-year-old Brendon Lee Martin is back in custody at the Tulare County pre-trial facility. Friday, he'll appear before a judge, charged with burglary, possession of a controlled substance, and three counts of attempted murder for an April drive-by shooting in Exeter.

The shooting left 14-year-old Vanessa Cruz with a bullet in her back. She survived and is still recovering.

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office said the shooter, Martin, is a Norteno Gang member.

"Just goes into a lot of these youngsters that get involved in these gangs, where it leads them. Now he's going to be tied up in the system for who knows how long," said Captain Tom Sigley, Tulare County Sheriff's Office.

But over the course of the last month, Martin has been in and out of the system. He was arrested for attempted murder in the drive-by shooting on May 15th, but two days later, he walked, after the Tulare County District Attorney's Office declined to file charges. They needed more information from investigators.

"Copies of transcripts, videos, interviews, recordings, that stuff to further the filing of the case," said Sigley.

As that was happening, Sigley said the burglary case came together and Martin was re-arrested-- but he posted the $50,000 bail for that case last Friday.

Monday, Martin was in court for the drug and burglary charges and was taken back into custody on the attempted murder charges.

Now, he's being held on more than $2-million bail and faces life in prison.