Guard Shoots Shoplifting Suspect, 17, in Self-Defense

A security guard who tried to stop a group of teen-agers from shoplifting three 12-packs of beer ended up defending himself against a barrage of bottles by shooting and wounding one of the suspects, police said Sunday.

The guard was then fired at by the wounded youth’s companions, police added. The guard was not hit by the gunfire and was not seriously hurt by flying bottles.

The incident occurred just after midnight Sunday in front of the 7-Eleven convenience store at 902 W. Edinger Ave. A 17-year-old Santa Ana youth was leaving the store with three other teen-agers when they were confronted by the security guard, Police Sgt. Bob Ensley said.

The guard ordered them to stop and surrender the beer that they had allegedly stolen from the store, but the 17-year-old reached into the beer cache and began hurling bottles at him, Ensley said.

The guard fired once, hitting the youth in the right hand. The same bullet apparently passed through the teen-ager’s hand and struck him in the right side.

“Several subjects outside then began taunting the security guard,” Ensley said. “One of them fired a round from a handgun at him.”

Police arrived moments later. All four teen-agers were arrested and booked on suspicion of a variety of charges, including burglary, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.

Police did not release the names of two of the suspects, whom they identified only as a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, both Santa Ana residents. The two adults were identified as Maximiliano Romero, 19, and Henry Araujo, 18.

The unidentified 17-year-old was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for the injuries to his hand and side, Ensley said. Neither injury was thought to be life threatening.

Shoplifting incidents such as Sunday’s have dogged police in several local law enforcement agencies. The crimes often are committed by young people, usually in groups of more than three or four, and often involve stealing beer or liquor.

“We had a little bit of that here, and it’s just flat intimidation,” Anaheim Lt. Vince Howard said. “It’s people terrorizing the neighbors.”

A Cypress dispatcher agreed and said it was a regular problem. “We get it almost every Saturday night,” he said. “We get them so often that we just call them ‘beer runs.’ ”

The incidents have also become increasingly common in Santa Ana, though few erupt in gunfire.

“We get beer runs all the time,” Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Levatino said. “We have lots and lots every weekend.”