Man Complaining About Car Is Shot to Death, Police Say

A man disgruntled about the used car he had bought was shot to death when he returned to the seller to complain, police said Monday.

Antonio Robles, 43, of Anaheim had gone to the apartment of Sabas Soto, 25, on Sunday night to complain that the car Soto sold him earlier didn’t run well, and he couldn’t register it because parking tickets on the car hadn’t been paid, police said.

The two men were standing in an alley behind Robles’ apartment complex in the 600 block of North Sabrina Street when a shot rang out at 9 p.m., startling neighbors, Sgt. Chet Barry said. One resident of the apartment complex, hearing the shot, ran outside and found Robles lying on the pavement, his chest bleeding profusely, Barry said.

Police and Fire Department paramedics were called to the scene and worked to keep Robles alive until an ambulance arrived. He died a short time later at Anaheim Memorial Hospital.

An hour after the shooting, police, acting on a tip, spotted Soto walking to the apartment complex where he lives.

“He was kind of hanging around in the area, trying to stay out of sight,” Barry said.

A .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun, believed used in the shooting, was found on Soto, who surrendered without incident, Barry said. Soto was being held without bail at Anaheim City Jail, awaiting arraignment today on suspicion of murder.

Police said they didn’t know what kind of mechanical problems plagued the car and would not reveal the make and model.

In addition, Robles couldn’t register the car because of “paper-work problems,” Barry said, including tickets.