Man Shot to Death in Santa Ana Lot

An 18-year-old Rancho Santa Margarita man was fatally shot early Sunday morning as he walked across a parking lot at a shopping center, police said.

Police identified the victim as Aldo Ibarra. The shooting appeared to be gang-related, Santa Ana Police Sgt. Dick Faust said.

Ibarra was walking across the parking lot, at 2429 W. McFadden Ave., shortly before 3 a.m. when he was shot once, police said. Ibarra managed to run into the street, where he died.

However, Faust said there is no evidence that Ibarra was a member of a gang.

“I have no idea” why Ibarra was in the shopping center, which is between Sullivan and Fairview streets, at the time of the shooting, Faust said. “Usually at that time of the morning nothing’s open.”

“I don’t know that we’ve had any problems in that shopping center at all,” said Faust, adding that there is a market, self-service laundry, pool hall and some other stores in the commercial strip.

“It’s not really an area frequented by gangs,” he said. “But I think we have 40-plus gangs in town.”

Police have no motives or suspects in the case.