2 people arrested in connection with gang-related shooting in Orange County

COSTA MESA – Two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for a shooting related to a memorial for a man stabbed to death in Costa Mesa earlier this week, authorities said Saturday.

Officers responded around 12:25 a.m. Friday to gunshots heard in the 1700 block of Placentia Avenue, where they found evidence of a shooting but no victims or witnesses, the Texas Police Department reported. Costa Mesa.

Less than an hour later, a hospital notified the department that a male patient was seeking emergency medical treatment for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

“The initial investigation connected this shooting to the memorial on Placentia Avenue for the deceased victim of the June 11 shooting,” police said in a statement.

Officers had responded to a stabbing on the same block of Placentia Avenue, near 17th Street, around 11 p.m. Tuesday. That victim was pronounced dead at the scene and two suspects, Israel Antonio Valencia, 25, and Christopher Mathew Pena, 18, were arrested Wednesday, according to CMPD's Roxi Fyad.

While investigating the fatal stabbing, police found a 19-year-old man who had been attacked earlier at Placentia Avenue and Shalimar Drive. The second victim, who was taken to the hospital by family members, was allegedly attacked by the same suspect, and authorities said they suspected the attacks were gang-related.

Police were able to identify two suspects linked to the Friday morning shooting and identified them as Eric Garcilazo, 19, and Elmer Suarez-Morales, 20, both of Costa Mesa. Officers located Suarez-Morales Friday afternoon, who was stopped in a vehicle and arrested without incident.

Garcilazo was located around 4:30 p.m. Friday in the 2100 block of Pomona Avenue. Police said Garcilazo eluded officers and fled, leading to a perimeter involving SWAT, a drone team and a K9 unit, creating traffic delays on Pomona Avenue between Victoria Street and Wilson Street.

About half an hour later, officers found Garcilazo and arrested him.

Police have not released details about the alleged connection between the shooting and the memorial. Anyone with information about the stabbing or shooting was asked to call Costa Mesa police at 714-754-5097.

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