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Wednesday, 03 January 2007 11:06

Manhunt Underway For Amador County Man

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slide11A massive manhunt under way for an Amador County man identified as the shooter in the bizarre shooting of two diners Saturday night in a crowded dessert shop in San Diego. San Diego police say that a 45-year-old Jackson man Ralph Stephen Garbarini, a construction worker from here in Jackson was identified by witnesses as the shooter when fleeing form the scene. Garbarini had been in San Diego only a month and was living out of a camper. In what police are calling a random attack, the gunman killed Michael Andrew Fineman, 44, of Clairemont at 9:30 p.m. at Extraordinary Desserts on Fifth Avenue in the Park West neighborhood.

A second victim remained hospitalized yesterday and police declined to release his name. The crime was captured on the restaurant video surveillance system according Police Chief William Lansdowne. The victims' wives, who had been dining with their husbands, were not hurt and remained in seclusion yesterday.

slide12 Fineman, the father of three, owned Michael Fineman Designs, which specialized in designing kitchens. As detectives investigated the case, they became convinced the shooting was a chance encounter that escalated, not a vendetta.  “We believe this was a horribly random and bold act,” Lansdowne said. “Our victims never saw this guy before.”  The buildup to the shooting started when the two couples dining at the restaurant asked an employee for assistance with a stranger staring at them.  “He was talking gibberish to the couples, from what we understand,” Lansdowne said.

The man was escorted out but returned about five minutes later. “He walked by about 10 people, up to the table and shot at point-blank range,” Lansdowne said. Detectives identified Garbarini after a witness, who had seen television reports of the crime, spotted the man and took down his license plate.

Garbarini is believed to be driving a 1990 Toyota pickup with a plywood camper, brownish gray in color, with a customized finish that looks like a rock formation, with California plates 7E76312, Lt. Kevin Rooney said. Garbarini was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, 170 pounds, with thinning brown hair and blue eyes. At the time of the shooting, he carried a dark-colored backpack and was dressed in earth-tone clothing and tennis shoes. He was unshaven, had discolored teeth and was described as looking homeless. Lansdowne asked the public to continue to help in finding the man, who may have fled back here to Northern California, Arizona or Mexico – places he has lived.“We believe (the suspect) has gone back to where he came from,” Lansdowne said. “He most likely will be armed and is dangerous. Please call authorities and do not try to apprehend him.” If you see the suspect dial 911 immediately

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