LOCAL : 3 Held in Buena Park Shooting

Police arrested three people suspected of spraying a Buena Park supermarket with gunfire early today, critically wounding an employee, authorities said.

The injured worker, Richard Lee Nuest, 34, of Newport Beach was listed in critical but stable condition at UCI Medical Center in Orange. Buena Park police spokesman Tom Shearn said Nuest, an employee of Albertson’s Market, underwent emergency surgery after a bullet severed a major artery near his upper right groin.

Shearn said the shooting occurred about 1:45 a.m. after three people were told that they could not enter the supermarket, located on Orangethorpe Avenue, because it was closed.

The three men appeared “upset,” Shearn said. They returned to their station wagon, drove around the parking lot and threw a bottle that dented an employee’s car. Several Albertson’s employees, who were about to leave the store, confronted the men and an argument ensued, Shearn said.

“The suspects left saying they’ll be back real soon,” Shearn said.

Minutes later, the suspects’ vehicle was seen driving north on Western Avenue in front of the supermarket. Shearn said at least three shots were fired from the vehicle. The first struck a car, another ripped through the store window and a third sliced through Nuest, who was walking to his car.

Officers stopped a station wagon a few blocks away and arrested two people. Shearn said police found a Chinese-made SKS-6 assault rifle in the car.

Booked on suspicion of attempted murder were the driver, 19-year-old Steven Patrick McFarland of Cypress, and a 17-year-old juvenile from Cerritos. Shearn said investigators believe that the juvenile, whose name was withheld because of his age, was the triggerman.

Later today, police arrested a third suspect, Alexander Florido Labao, 25, at his Buena Park apartment.