Bystander Killed in Santa Ana Gang Gunfire : Crime: A woman standing in a fast-food restaurant parking lot is shot when two groups confront each other across the street. A 17-year-old is arrested and is expected to be charged with murder.

A 23-year-old woman died Monday after a stray bullet fired during a gang confrontation struck her head. A 17-year-old was arrested hours later.

The youth, whose name was not released because of his age, was allegedly aiming at a moving car at 9:12 p.m. Sunday but instead hit Debbie Gonzalez of Santa Ana, Lt. Bob Helton said.

Gonzalez was standing with friends in the parking lot of the Jack-in-the-Box restaurant at Edinger Avenue and Bristol Street when the group heard shots ring out, said Lilian Hernandez, who was with Gonzalez.

“We all ducked down to the ground. But when we got up, she didn’t,” Hernandez, 18, said Monday after spending hours with Gonzalez in the hospital. “I saw she was hurt, but I thought she had hit her head on the ground. A security guard came to help me. She started bleeding a lot, and I knew she was shot. I couldn’t believe it.”

The bullet came from across Edinger Avenue, where the alleged assailant had been standing with a group of young men when a carload of other males drove by and words were exchanged, Helton said.

The 17-year-old then fired at the passing car but missed, police said.

“One bullet unfortunately ended up passing into the parking lot where this young lady was standing with a group of other people and it struck her in the head,” Helton said.

Gonzalez, who three weeks ago moved to Santa Ana from Laguna Niguel with her 4-year-old son, died at 6:10 p.m. Monday at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, Helton said.

“In the little time I’ve known her, Debbie was always outgoing. She was so into life,” said Hernandez, who lived next door to Gonzalez in Santa Ana.

The Jack-in-the-Box is about one mile from where they lived in the 900 block of West McFadden Avenue. Hernandez said Gonzalez had been employed at a mortgage company.

Although no weapon was found, police suspect the victim was shot with a 9-mm handgun because some of those shell casings were found in the area, he said.

The gunmen were believed to be gang members, but investigators did not think Gonzalez was involved with either group, Helton said. After the shooting the targeted car got away, but several of the young men who had been standing on the sidewalk, the alleged assailant among them, were brought to police headquarters for questioning.

At 10 a.m. Monday, the juvenile was arrested at his home in the 1400 block of South Rita Way, Helton said.

He is being held at Juvenile Hall and was expected to be charged with murder.