SANTA ANA : No Leads to Shooting at Back-Yard Party

One day after a back-yard shooting that left one man dead and his wife in extremely critical condition, police had no leads Tuesday to the killers.

Sylvia Davalos, 21, a special education assistant at Willard Intermediate School in Santa Ana, was shot in the stomach after gunmen interrupted a back-yard barbecue at her Flower Street home. She remained in critical condition at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana on Tuesday.

Her husband, Joel, 21, a teacher’s aide at Andrew Jackson Elementary School, died instantly in the hail of gunfire.

The couple had just celebrated their second wedding anniversary last week.

Police investigating the midnight shooting are baffled as to a motive.

“We’re kind of in a quandary as to what happened,” said Santa Ana Police Sgt. Art Echternacht. “It’s going to take a lot of legwork and persistence to find out what happened.”

Police said there was no apparent reason for the shooting and that the gunmen had no provocation. They also said it was not gang-related.

As Davalos struggled through a major operation Tuesday, students at Willard Intermediate School were busy writing letters to her and her family.

“We want the students to express their feelings and send her their best,” said Howard Haas, the school’s principal. Davalos “worked here for two years, so lots of students know and love her.”