Valley Springs, CA…On 2/18/2020 at about 4:30 pm, Calaveras Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Mobil Gas Station, in Valley Springs, for a report of a gunshot and to a physical fight. All parties left before deputies arrived at that location. Another call came in shortly after identifying the victim as Dominic Allen (age 31) of Valley Springs suffering from an alleged gunshot wound to an upper extremity.

Dominic Allen was flown to a Modesto area hospital for treatment. Deputies soon learned that he and Cevin Ford (age 27) of Victorville, CA, had been involved in a physical altercation at the gas station during an arranged child custody exchange between Dominic and the mother of his children. During the fight, the victim’s father, Darrell Allen (62) of Valley Springs, attempted to break up the altercation, while holding a firearm. As Allen was attempting to separate the two, a shot was fired from the firearm injuring Dominic’s arm.

All parties fled the area before law enforcement arrived. Ford, the children, and their mother left the area to a residence in Stanislaus County. The welfare of the children and their mother was checked and it was found that they were uninjured during the incident. Ford was treated for injuries consistent with a physical fight. The status of all injuries is unknown. This incident is still under investigation and charges are still pending at this time.