SANTA ANA : Boy Shoots Brother by Mistake, Runs Off

Police detectives were searching Friday for a 16-year-old Santa Ana boy who fled after mistakenly shooting his younger brother while aiming a handgun at his father during an argument.

The boy, whose name was withheld because of his age, was believed to be armed with either a .38-caliber handgun or a .30-caliber automatic handgun, police spokeswoman Maureen Haacker said.

The boy and his 58-year-old father, Matias Gonzalez, began arguing at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday in their single-story home in the 2200 block of Laura Linda Lane, police said.

It was unclear what sparked the argument, Haacker said, but it was related “to (the youth’s) criminal past.”

She declined to elaborate, citing laws protecting the confidentiality of matters involving juveniles.

As emotions flared during the argument, the youth pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot his father, Haacker said. But instead, the bullet whizzed by Gonzalez and struck the youth’s 11-year-old brother in the right arm.

The younger brother was taken to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center for treatment, Haacker said. The wound was not life-threatening.

After the shooting, the 16-year-old ran out of the house, and police were unable to locate him for questioning on Friday.

“He’s probably at a friend’s house,” Haacker said. “He’s got to come home sometime.”