LOS ANGELES, CA – Three suspects, including a 16-year-old boy, have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 35-year-old Anaheim man Saturday night in Santa Ana, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
Officers responded at about 9:35 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, to a shooting near 2205 W. Myrtle St. and found the man, identified by police as Omar Flores Sanchez, with multiple gunshot wounds to his lower torso.
Police identified the suspects as Hector Uriel Gonzalez, 19, and Israel Vladimir Cuevas, 18, both of Santa Ana, along with a 16-year-old boy who also lives in the city. Police announced the arrests this week.
Investigators believe the killing was gang-related, and police described all three suspects as documented criminal street gang members.
Man found with gunshot wounds
Santa Ana officers were sent to the area of West Myrtle Street shortly before 9:40 p.m. after the shooting was reported. When they arrived, they found Flores Sanchez, who had been shot several times in the lower part of his body.
The Orange County Fire Authority took him to a hospital. He was pronounced dead there.
The people responsible had left the scene before officers arrived, according to initial reports. Police have not said whether Flores Sanchez was a resident of the block or how he came to be there.
Truck located near McFadden Avenue and Raitt Street
Witnesses gave investigators a description of the truck the suspects were using. Officers later found a vehicle matching that description near McFadden Avenue and Raitt Street.
Police took the three suspects into custody there. According to initial reports, officers found ammunition when they searched the vehicle.
Police have not announced whether a firearm was recovered.
Three booked for murder, conspiracy and gang enhancements
Gonzalez and Cuevas were booked at the Santa Ana Jail. The 16-year-old was booked at Juvenile Hall.
All three were booked for murder, conspiracy and gang enhancements, police said. Because the third suspect is a minor, police did not release his name.
An arrest is not a conviction, and the allegations remain subject to the criminal court process.
Police say killing appears gang-related
Police said all three suspects are documented criminal street gang members and that the shooting appears to be gang-related. The department has not disclosed a motive or said whether the suspects and the victim knew one another.
The gang-enhancement bookings refer to additional allegations that can be attached to a felony charge. Whether any enhancement is filed is a decision for prosecutors.
Homicide Section leads the investigation
The case is being handled by the Santa Ana Police Department’s Homicide Section. According to the city’s page on the Investigations Bureau, the section is responsible for investigating homicides, felonious assaults, kidnappings, weapons violations, missing persons and other high-profile investigations.
The same page describes the department’s Gang Reward Program, which offers rewards of $100 to $50,000 for information about gang homicides or felony assaults. It lists the number (714) 245-8390 for the program.
How gang cases are prosecuted in Orange County
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has not announced charges against Gonzalez, Cuevas or the 16-year-old as of Thursday, Oct. 22. Prosecutors decide what charges to file after reviewing the evidence that police submit.
On its page for the Gang Unit, the District Attorney’s Office says the unit “specializes in the vertical prosecution of serious and violent felonies committed by documented gang members.” Under that approach, a deputy district attorney who knows the gang’s background and the defendant’s criminal history is assigned to prosecute a case from filing through sentencing.
The page also says the unit applies the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, known as the STEP Act, to people who commit felonies for the benefit of a criminal street gang.
Witnesses asked to contact police
Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting, including additional witnesses, to call the Santa Ana Police Homicide Section at (714) 245-8390. People who want to stay anonymous can call OC Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
According to the OC Crime Stoppers page, the program provides a safe and anonymous way to report criminal activity and accepts tips by phone at (855) TIP-OCCS. The page also says OC Crime Stoppers does not provide reward money for tips.
Charging decisions are pending
The investigation into the death of Flores Sanchez remains active. Police have not announced a motive, and prosecutors have not yet said what charges Gonzalez, Cuevas and the 16-year-old will face.
