SANTA PAULA : Homeless Man Shot Sleeping in His Car

A 28-year-old Santa Paula man was shot at least five times as he slept in his parked car in a residential Santa Paula neighborhood early Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Epigmenio Aparicio was shot in his head, neck, chest and arm about 1 a.m. as he slept on the front seat of his car in the 1100 block of Montebello Street, Santa Paula Police Cmdr. Bob Gonzales said.

He was taken to Santa Paula Memorial Hospital and then transferred to Ventura County Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery.

Aparicio was in fair condition Wednesday, a nursing supervisor said.

Police were called to the shooting scene by a neighbor who heard gunshots.

Gonzales said Aparicio, who is homeless and occasionally sleeps in his car, was still conscious after the shooting. He told police that he awakened to the sound of shattering glass as the gunshots rang through the front window on the car’s passenger side.

“He was not able to give a description of what happened,” Gonzales said.

Police had no suspects in the shooting but said they believe that Aparicio was shot by two youths.

One witness saw two slightly built men get dropped off in the neighborhood and walk toward the victim’s car. Another witness saw two people walk away from the car and toward the Santa Clara riverbed, Gonzales said.

He added that the shooting could have been related to previous criminal activity by Aparicio.

Aparicio is on probation after a felony conviction this spring for narcotics possession, according to the Ventura County district attorney’s office.