4 Held in Shooting Death of Balboa Man

Newport Beach police, shotguns drawn, arrested three men and a teen-age boy outside an Italian restaurant late Saturday in connection with the shooting death of a 21-year-old Balboa man.

Newport Beach police answered a call about shots being fired at 10:25 p.m. Saturday at a party in the 1300 block of West Balboa Boulevard, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Andy Gonis said.

Officers arriving at the scene found John Fahey, who had been beaten and shot, lying in the street, Gonis said. Newport Beach paramedics treated Fahey at the scene, then took him to Hoag Hospital, where he was reported dead on arrival, Gonis said.

Witnesses told police that a number of people had fled the area in a car at the time of the shooting, and police were given a description of the vehicle.

Newport Beach Officer Bruce Burns stopped a tan and brown Oldsmobile in front of Grillo’s Restaurant at Balboa Boulevard and 28th Street. Startled diners watched as five officers armed with shotguns surrounded the car and ordered its four occupants to step out as a Newport police helicopter circled overhead and a police dog stood watch.

Arrested were Stanley Anaya, 20, of San Pedro; Tito Huizar, 19, of Long Beach; Larry Pena, 24, of Long Beach, and a 17-year-old boy from Carson whose name was withheld because of his age. Police had no motive for the attack on Fahey.

As officers were questioning the suspects, traffic continued to move freely past the scene. Dozens of curious onlookers, some in shorts and T-shirts, gathered on nearby street corners and balconies to get a better view.

At one point, the officers addressed the crowd with a bullhorn, urging them to disperse, but most of the onlookers did not leave.

Police lined up the suspects and trained flashlights on them so that witnesses could identify them. Because the lineup was conducted in front of the restaurant, about eight customers were unable to leave as soon as they would have liked.

They passed the time listening to taped renditions of Italian songs.

Times staffer Ardith Hilliard contributed to this story.