Police Call Drive-By Shooting Death Gang-Related
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SANTA ANA — A Santa Ana man was shot to death Saturday morning in what police said was a gang-related incident.
Jorge Mercado, 22, of Santa Ana was found dead in the driver’s seat after his car veered off the road and struck a house in the 2100 block of Civic Center Drive, said Santa Ana Police Lt. Ken Hall.
The victim, described by police as a gang member, suffered two gunshots in the upper torso.
The alleged gunman, Manuel Macias, was arrested about a mile away when police stopped a car matching a description given by witnesses. Macias, 19, described as a gang member, was a passenger in the car. Police recovered a 9-millimeter pistol, Hall said.
Macias was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of murder, Hall said.
Police did not charge the driver after determining he was unaware the shooting was about to take place, Hall said.
Hall said the shooting, which took place about 9:30 a.m., was “believed to be gang-related” but he did not know what sparked it.
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