BUENA PARK : Spurned Suitor Held in Waitress’ Shooting

A man who spent months pursuing a La Mirada bar waitress shot the woman once in her side after she spurned him, police said Friday.

Police arrested Antonio F. Martell, 30, of Santa Ana after the waitress, Hilda E. Corral, 36, identified him as the man who shot her Thursday. The shooting occurred as she and another man walked outside the Coral Motel at 7891 Whitaker St.

Corral of Santa Ana, who was in fair condition Friday at UCI Medical Center in Orange, told police Martell followed her and her companion from the Tropicana bar in La Mirada, where she works.

Martell “has known her since March and has been wanting to get together with her,” said Sgt. Robert Mills. “She doesn’t want anything to do with him.”

When Corral and her companion, whom police did not identify, stopped at the motel, she and Martell began arguing. The argument escalated until Martell pulled a .38-caliber revolver from his waistband and struck Corral in the head with the weapon, police said.

Corral tried to get away, but Martell fired once, striking her in the left side. The bullet passed through her body.

“He didn’t think it was right that she was with this other guy,” Mills said. “That’s where the problem came up.”

When Martell fled in his car, Corral’s companion called police. The woman was able to give police Martell’s license plate number after having written it down earlier in the day.

“She knew he was following her. He was in the bar (where she works) drinking for most of the day,” Mills said. “She was well aware of him.”

Santa Ana police spotted the car in the parking lot of El Fracaso restaurant at 701 N. Harbor Blvd. and contacted Buena Park police, who arrested Martell inside. He was booked into Buena Park Jail on a charge of attempted murder.

Bail was set at $250,000. Martell is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Fullerton.