Woman Shot — Suspect Headed to SLC — May Have Been in Accident

Casper Police are looking for a male suspect who fled in a vehicle after allegedly shooting a woman in the 2500 block of South Jefferson Street Wednesday afternoon.

UPDATE 9:55pm: Officers of the Casper Police Department received information that the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting left Casper and was headed back to the Salt Lake City, Utah area.

That confirms information previously obtained by K2 Radio about his place of residence.

Officers throughout the night have been updating jurisdictions along the way of a possible vehicle that the suspect may have been driving.

Police say the car has been involved in an incident in the southwest portion of the state of Wyoming and that incident is currently under investigation.

Casper Police have not been able to confirm if the subject in that incident is Ledezma, nor is the status of that subject known at this time.

K2 has information that the driver of the car identified as the suspect vehicle may have been killed in a high speed chase near Lyman on I-80. That information is not confirmed, however.

UPDATE 6:55pm: Police say 45-year old Arturo N. Ledezma shot the woman twice during a domestic dispute.

The female is in stable condition at Wyoming Medical Center.

A Casper Police press release said Ledezma, a Hispanic male, is considered armed and dangerous. Police believe he has left the area, but if seen, do not attempt to approach or confront him.

K2 Radio has information indicating that he may be from Salt Lake City.

Janelle Tipton was visiting a friend in a building adjacent to where the victim, possibly Ledezma's ex-wife, lives and saw much of what happened, she said.

"He was so casual about it," Tipton said. "He was on a mission."

The shooter was about 5-foot-7-inches or 5-foot-8-inches tall, trim, well-groomed and carried an egg-shaped green book bag, she said. "He wasn't hurting for money."

He had parked his car -- a nice four-door, compact silver sedan -- in the alley behind the complex where the victim had lived, Tipton said.

Citing another witness, Ledezma had called the victim saying she should expect a delivery by UPS, Tipton said. "He set her up."

The victim was outside.

Ledezma fired two shots at her and missed, then fired two more hitting the victim in the head and the stomach, she said.

He began walking quickly up a small hill to the alley, trying to stuff what apparently was a large handgun into the book bag, Tipton said.

Ledezma then calmly unlocked his car, got in, and drove away slowly, she said.

Tipton said the car did not have a license plate in the front, and the sun was so bright she was unable to see much of the rear license plate other than to observe that it was white and from out-of-state.

Tipton said he saw her looking out the window at him, and could have shot her if he wanted. But he seemed only interested in shooting the victim, she said.

WMC officials placed the hospital on lockdown at 5:30 p.m., spokeswoman Kristy Bleizeffer said. "We're doing this out an abundance of caution."

Visitors were discouraged from visiting the hospital and allowed to enter only through the emergency room. All visitors were screened and will only be allowed under critical circumstances. Access from the parking garage was not allowed.

The lockdown has since been lifted.

Police received the call of shots fired at 3:27 p.m., and have been interviewing witnesses and neighbors, Chief Jim Wetzel said.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call police at 235-8278.

We will update this story as other information becomes available.