3 Killed, 1 Wounded in Series of Shootings in Santa Ana

Two juveniles and a man died and another man was badly injured in three separate shootings within hours of each other, Santa Ana authorities said Friday.

The first incident happened at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, when two alleged members of an area gang opened fire on Moris Maravilla, 23, and Celso Martinez Silva, 15, both of Santa Ana, in the courtyard of an apartment complex at 1000 E. Bishop St., Police Lt. Dave Petko said.

The teen-ager was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene, Petko said. Maravilla died from one gunshot wound to the head at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.

On the same day, officers responding to a report of gunfire in the 1900 block of South Center Street arrived to find a 16-year-old victim collapsed in front of a house. The juvenile, Jose Alfredo Lopez of Santa Ana, who has admitted to being a gang member in the past, died from several gunshot wounds, including one in the head, Petko said.

Early Friday morning, a bouquet of white carnations and a candle were placed near the sidewalk where the juvenile had been gunned down. Taped to the flower bouquet was a handwritten note that read: “Father of my granddaughter, you have proven to me that you are a man. I will always keep you in my heart. Love, Dad.”

In the third incident, a 24-year-old man “got his leg blown off” at about 2 a.m. Friday, Sgt. Dick Faust said. Edward Angelo Cisneros of Anaheim had been arguing with two other men in the driveway of a friend’s house in the 1400 block of South Baker Street, Faust said. The two men then drove off in a truck and began shooting at Cisneros with an assault rifle, hitting the victim in the right leg.

A police helicopter located the truck at Hawley Street and 9th Street, Faust said, and police officers arrested John Martin Morales, 21, of Santa Ana and Ronald Lawrence Azevedo, 22, of Orange.

Cisneros remained in stable condition at UCI Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.