Argument May Have Led to Irvine Shooting, Police Say

Police on Thursday said a fatal shooting in the parking lot of a business complex may have grown out of an escalating argument between two relatives.

Investigators said it was unclear what sparked the long-running disagreement between the suspect, Aramis Jaranilla, 46, of Fontana, and Willie Uy Jr., 34, of Irvine. Uy died shortly after the Wednesday afternoon shooting, which occurred in plain view of several people.

“We’re still trying to get the relatives to fill us in (on) what the argument was about,” Sgt. Jim Broomfield said. “We don’t know how long they had been arguing--probably several weeks.” Police believe that the two men are either cousins or uncle and nephew.

Uy, a sales representative for New York Life Insurance Co., was helping move company supplies and records into an office building at 7700 Irvine Center Drive when a man approached him and shot him several times, police said.

The gunman then began walking away but turned around and fired at least another shot before jumping into a pickup truck and driving off, police said.

Two witnesses jumped into a car and followed the gunman on the Costa Mesa Freeway and used a cellular telephone to notify the police.

Witnesses at the scene took note of the truck’s license plate number. Authorities are still looking for the weapon used in the shooting, Broomfield said. Police in Fontana found a handgun in Jaranilla’s car after his arrest but do not believe that it was the weapon used in the shooting, Broomfield said.

Jaranilla, booked on suspicion of murder, was held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail. He was scheduled to be arraigned today in Harbor Municipal Court in Newport Beach, according to jail authorities.