20-year-old gang member arrested for shooting 3-year-old in Santa Ana
Santa Ana police arrested a 20-year-old gang member accused of shooting a 3-year-old girl in the back while she sat in the car with her family last week.
The suspect, Angel Castillo, carried out the shooting, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office charged Castillo with two counts of attempted murder, discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle and committing a crime for the benefit of a criminal street gang. They added firearm enhancements to the charges.
The shooting happened on Feb. 25 near 15th and Spurgeon Streets. The child's mother rushed the wounded girl to the hospital shortly after the shooting. At the time, officers said she had suffered critical wounds but was in stable condition after several surgeries.
Detectives believe Castillo was likely aiming for the mother's boyfriend in the front seat but inadvertently shot the girl. The girl's four-year-old sister was sitting next to her.
"The front passenger is a documented gang member," said Officer Natalie Garcia.
Video from the scene showed a white Nissan Altima with at least two bullet holes, one on the side and the other on the rear.
Officers tracked down the suspect and arrested him on Feb. 29. Castillo was arraigned in Orange County Superior Court on March 4.
Investigators urged witnesses to call detectives at (714) 2445-8390. Tips could also be submitted to the Orange County Crime Stoppers by phone: 1(855) 847-6227 or through their website.
