2 men jailed in shooting that wounded girl, 9

Two suspects were arrested Friday night in a gang shooting that left a 9-year-old Angelino Heights girl in grave condition, police said.

Cesar Zamora, 24, and Steven Andrew Castanon, 20, were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Zamora, who was identified by police as a “person of interest” earlier in the investigation, surrendered at a police station with his attorney. Castanon, who was questioned after Wednesday’s shooting, was arrested during a traffic stop.

A stray bullet fired during the gang shooting Wednesday hit Charupha Wongwisetsiri as she was standing next to her mother in the kitchen of their apartment on East Kensington Road.

The bullet tore through the front wall of their home, passed through the living room and struck Charupha in the head.

Her mother picked her up off the kitchen floor, carried her to the car and rushed her to the hospital. The girl remains in critical condition at Childrens Hospital.

The City Council had offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the suspects.

Charupha’s mother, Kamaonphorn Maxwell, said she had brought her daughter to the United States from Bangkok about a year ago because of the educational opportunities.

Neighbors had made multiple calls to police in recent weeks about gunfire around a small apartment building across the street from Charupha’s home.