Arrests in Worst O.C. Gang Shooting : Police Pick Up 3 in Santa Ana, Riverside Raids

In a massive raid at dawn this morning, police arrested three gang members believed to have killed two people and wounded six others two weeks ago in the worst gang-related incident in Orange County history. A fourth suspect surrendered to police later in the day.

About 60 police officers from Garden Grove and Santa Ana swooped down on seven houses in Santa Ana as well as a warehouse, home and construction site in Riverside, searching for the four gang members, the murder weapons and drugs.

Three 5th Street gang members, including two men suspected of firing into a crowd of 13 people outside a Garden Grove home Sept. 16, were arrested on suspicion of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and acts involving gang activity, said Garden Grove Detective Sgt. Phil Mason. One of those arrested is a 14-year-old Santa Ana boy, police said.

Guns Found in Home

A fifth gang member, Randy Martinez, was arrested after guns were found at his home in the 600 block of Ross Street in Santa Ana, Mason said. The serial numbers on one of the guns was removed and police will not know whether it was one of the semiautomatics used in the drive-by until ballistics tests are performed, he said.

“We found weapons but we are not satisfied they are the ones we are looking for,” Mason said.

Martinez is not a suspect in the murder, Mason said. However, Martinez was shot a week before the drive-by shooting on La Bonita Street in Garden Grove, and police believe that attack may have prompted the drive-by shooting, Mason said.

Roman Gabriel Menchaca, 19, believed to be one of the triggermen, was arrested at his home on 5214 W. 5th Street, Mason said.

Robert Figueroa, 20, whose last known address was on West Roosevelt Street in Santa Ana, was not at home when police raided the house but was later arrested at his job on a construction site in Riverside, Mason said.

The 14-year-old suspect was arrested at his home in Santa Ana.

4th Suspect Surrenders

Louis Palamino Valadez, 28, who according to court records had been convicted of attempted murder in a previous gang shooting and had been paroled in 1987 after serving time for possession of cocaine with intent to sell, surrendered to police early in the afternoon.

Menchaca’s father, Mario, said, “It’s a tragedy what happened on (La Bonita Street), but my son had nothing to do with it.”

His mother said: “When the kids do something wrong, they always try to blame it on somebody. They blamed it on my son.”

Mason said security will be beefed up in the neighborhood of the La Bonita street shooting to prevent a retaliatory attack by 5th Street gang members.