At about 2:31pm Wednesday, the California Highway Patrol and Turlock Police responded to a drive-by shooting that had just occurred southbound State Route 99 just north of Fulkerth Road.
The victims, who were two adults and a young child, had exited the freeway and flagged down a nearby CHP officer whom they provided with suspect information.
Luckily, none of the victims were struck by the gunfire or injured in any way.
A short time later, the officer spotted the suspect vehicle traveling southbound on Dianne Drive at a high rate of speed.
Working together, CHP and TPD officers determined there were two shooting scenes. The first was on the freeway, and the second was in the 1500 block of Dianne Drive as the suspect had chased the victims for a short amount of time.
The CHP handled both scenes as they were both part of one continuous incident that had begun on the freeway.
Through the investigation, the CHP’s Central Division Investigative Services Unit identified the suspect as Samuel Leinweber, 26, of Turlock.
The following Tuesday, Leinweber reported to his parole agent’s office in Merced, not knowing he’d been identified as the suspect. He was arrested.
Later that same day, CHP investigators and officers served a search warrant at Leinweber’s Turlock home, recovering a loaded handgun with a large-capacity magazine.
Additionally, Leinweber’s girlfriend, Rebecca Tallon, 44, of Turlock, was arrested for her role in the shooting.
Leinweber and Tallon were both booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center, Leinweber on three counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, two counts of discharging a firearm at an occupied motor vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, and Tallon on charges of accessory after the fact, carrying a loaded firearm, and supplying a firearm to a prohibited person.
Leinweber’s parole status stems from another shooting he was responsible for, this one on New Year’s Day 2021 at the Venice Motel in the 1100 block of N. Golden State Boulevard. During that incident, a woman was seriously injured after being struck by gunfire.
“We would like to thank the public and witnesses who provided CHP investigators with crucial information that led to the identification and subsequent arrest of a suspect for these brazen and dangerous crimes,” said Captain Mayolo Banuelos, CHP Modesto Area Office Commander. “We would also like to thank our law enforcement partner[s] at the Turlock Police Department and CDCR Parole for their assistance in bringing Samuel Leinweber to justice. The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.”
