The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is filing several charges against a man who allegedly opened fire on teenage boys, killing one of them and injuring another.
According to a release from the DA’s office, the shooting occurred just after noon on June 5 on Pine Street in Santa Ana, not far from an elementary school.
The shooting was preceded by a confrontation on Pine between two 13-year-old boys and another child, authorities said.
The two boys began running towards an apartment building on nearby Bishop Street when, minutes later, the suspect drove up to the boys, stopped in the street and opened fire.
One of the 13-year-olds was shot in the head and rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries days later, police said.
He was identified by law enforcement officials as Daniel Vargas. A GoFundMe set up to help the Vargas family with funeral expenses can be found here.
The other 13-year-old Vargas was with – whose identity was not released – was not struck by gunfire; however, a 16-year-old boy who looked out his kitchen window during the shooting was shot in the head, police said.
He was transported to a local hospital and survived the shooting, authorities added.
Police opened an investigation and quickly identified the suspect as Raymond Mario Jimenez, 27, of Santa Ana.
He was arrested the same day as the shooting and charged with:
- One felony count of murder
- One felony count of attempted murder
- One felony count of shooting into an inhabited dwelling
- Six felony enhancements for shooting a firearm causing great bodily injury or death
If convicted on all charges, Jimenez faces the maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The 27-year-old is scheduled to be arraigned on July 10 at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
