SANTA ANA : Man Shot to Death During Card Game
A 21-year-old man was shot to death Monday while playing cards and drinking with two neighbors at his apartment, police said.
Officers arriving at City Center Apartments, 1111 W. Santa Ana Blvd., found Hector Velasquez Vergara dead in front of his apartment door at 1:20 p.m., Santa Ana police spokeswoman Maureen Haacker said. He died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, she said.
“The victim and two suspects had been drinking beer and playing cards prior to the shooting, and an altercation of some kind took place that resulted in the shooting,” Haacker said.
Servando Sarabia Mercado, 36, and Hilarion Mercado (no relation), 23, who share an apartment at the complex, were captured after the apartment manager directed officers to them, police said.
Servando Mercado was being held for questioning Monday evening at the Santa Ana Police Department while Hilarion Mercado was taken to Western Medical Center-Anaheim to be treated for an unspecified wound, police said.
Police said they found a 9-millimeter handgun on Servando Mercado and a shotgun in his truck.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
