LOCAL : 2 Held in OC Drive-By Slaying

Two teen-agers are in custody, booked on suspicion of murder in a fatal drive-by shooting that left a 12-year-old by dead and a 17-year-old wounded, Santa Ana police said today.

A 17-year-old juvenile from Orange, whose name was being withheld because of his age, and Vu Nguyen, 18, of Santa Ana are being held at the Santa Ana Jail, Santa Ana police spokeswoman Maureen Thomas said.

They were arrested about an hour after the 11:55 p.m. shooting Tuesday in the 500 block of South Wood Street, Thomas said.

Thomas said homicide detectives do not believe the attack was gang-related. Rather, they suspect the killing was sparked by a dispute over drugs.

“Apparently these people had a verbal argument over drugs,” Thomas added. She said the argument “escalated into a physical controntation” between the two suspects and the unidentified victims, whose names were also being withheld because of their ages.

After the fight, police said they believe Nguyen and his companion left the area. A short time later, they are believed to have returned in a car, with one of them opening fire on the two victims with a handgun, Thomas said.

One bullet struck the 12-year-old in the head, killing him instantly, and another struck the older boy in the leg. The 17-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

An hour later, Westminster police spotted a car that matched the description given by witnesses and took the two teen-agers into custody.