San Diego sportscaster shot but expected to recover; suspect surrenders hours later

SAN DIEGO – A San Diego television sportscaster was shot and wounded outside his home, and the man suspected of shooting him surrendered to a SWAT team after a manhunt of several hours, police said.

Kyle Kraska, sports director and anchor for CBS affiliate KFMB-TV, was shot in the leg and stomach outside the home in the wealthy Scripps Ranch area of the city on Tuesday afternoon, his station said.

He is expected to recover after undergoing surgery, the station said.

About six hours later, 54-year-old Mike Montana surrendered after a SWAT team surrounded a residence in El Cajon northeast of San Diego, police spokesman Scott Wahl said.

Police did not immediately release a motive for the shooting or the relationship between the two men but had said they were seeking Montana, who they called armed and dangerous and said drove from the scene with a white minivan with the logo “Superior Painting” on its side.

Rob Pedley, who owns Superior Painting in San Diego, said the van did not belong to his company and he didn’t know Montana.

At the Scripps Ranch home, a silver Mercedes with its back window shot out could be seen parked on the edge of a driveway in a cul-de-sac.

Neighbours, including a nurse, aided Kraska before he was taken to a hospital.

Kraska, a Boston native, appears on KFMB’s evening newscasts and hosts its San Diego Chargers postgame show. He has worked at the station since 1999 and has been its sports anchor since 2003.

He previously worked for TV stations in New York, Florida, Texas and Los Angeles.

The shooting comes less than two months after a TV meteorologist in Texas was shot outside the station where he works.

Authorities said KCEN-TV meteorologist Patrick Crawford was in his car the morning of Dec. 17 when a gunman approached, yelled at him and shot him three times.

Crawford returned to the air four weeks later. Authorities are still looking for that gunman.