Watsonville man shot by suspect lying in wait outside his home

SANTA CRUZ (BCN) — A 29-year-old man was shot as he was leaving his home just outside of Watsonville this morning, according to a Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

Around 7:10 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a reported shooting in the 300 block of Manfre Road south of Buena Vista Drive, sheriff’s Lt. Kelly Kent said.

Arriving deputies found the 29-year-old man with two gunshot wounds to the torso, Kent said.

He was airlifted to a Santa Clara County trauma center to be treated and is expected to survive, according to Kent.

A preliminary investigation indicated that two men were waiting for the victim near the home’s front yard, the spokesman said.

The suspects shot the victim, fled the scene and have not been found as of this afternoon, Kent said.

The shooting may be gang-related, Kent said.