ESCONDIDO, Calif. (KGTV) - An Escondido man is sharing his terrifying story after a peaceful night of stargazing on Palomar Mountain turned into a nightmare when he says he was shot by an unknown gunman who may have targeted him because of his ethnicity.
Joseph, 56, who asked us not to use his real name, said he drove his 2008 Jaguar sedan up Palomar Mountain after work on a Monday night in early October. He parked in a turnout about a half mile from the top to relax and stargaze.
“Just relaxing, unwinding. I go up the mountain once a month. Fell asleep. Had reclined by seat,” Joseph said.
About 30 minutes later, he was awakened by a terrifying sound.
"I heard a loud, very loud metal-on-glass banging on my window," Joseph said. "I looked over my left shoulder, and I saw the silhouette of a man. He was pointing a rifle at my head."
Joseph said after he put his hands up and pleaded with the gunman not to shoot, the man in a hoodie asked him a question that revealed the apparent motive behind the attack.
"He asked me either, 'Are you Mexican?’ or ‘You Mexican?'" Joseph said. "And when I answered 'Yes,' I saw him. He zeroed in on my head."
Joseph said he immediately turned his head to the right as the gunman fired.
"That bullet fired through the window, missed my face, and hit my arm, scattering the bone," Joseph said. “He was definitely aiming for my head.”
With glass on his face and blood spurting from his right arm, Joseph fumbled for his keys with his left hand to start the car.
"I've never had my heart beat like that. Just focused on surviving,” Joseph said.
As he drove away, the gunman fired one more shot that struck a back tire. Joseph eventually reached a nearby home where he got help and was taken to a hospital.
Surgeons inserted a metal rod to help stabilize his shattered bone. Joseph said his recovery will be long, both physically and emotionally.
"I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life, seeing his silhouette, unfortunately," Joseph said.
Weeks after the shooting, Joseph is sharing his story in hopes of tracking down the gunman.
"Well, this person obviously is filled with hate, and his motive is hate," Joseph said. "This person is obviously a danger, and he's going to kill someone."
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office said they are trying to determine if the shooting was a random or targeted act of violence. A spokesperson said they are also working to determine if the shooting is connected to an armed robbery in September in the Palomar Mountain area.
In that incident, no one was hurt.
Anyone with information about the October shooting is asked to call the Valley Center Sheriff's Station at 760-751-4400.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help Joseph with medical and other expenses.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
