NEWPORT BEACH : 2 Teen-Agers Held in Shooting of Man

Newport Beach homicide detectives have arrested two teen-agers in connection with the shooting of a drunk man who was blocking a street near the Newport Pier last weekend, police said on Friday.

A 16-year-old Westminster boy and a 17-year-old Fountain Valley boy, whose names were withheld because of their age, were being held in Orange County Juvenile Hall in Orange on suspicion of attempted murder, Newport Beach police Sgt. Andy Gonis said.

Gonis said that on Oct. 25 at 8:50 p.m., a 24-year-old Costa Mesa resident walked out of a bar and stood in the middle of the street near the intersection of 21st Street and Court Avenue, preventing a car from passing.

When the two teen-agers inside the car started honking the horn at him, the man, whose name was withheld for his safety, apparently became belligerent and prompted an argument. The argument soon became a fistfight, Gonis said.

At one point, one or both of the youths pulled handguns out and began firing. The Costa Mesa man was shot once in the back, suffering a minor wound.

A stray bullet also struck a woman walking near the pier. But that bullet did not pierce her skin, Gonis said. An all-points bulletin was issued with a description of the car.

On Thursday, a Garden Grove police officer stopped the car and notified Newport Beach detectives, who took the boys into custody. Police have identified the teen-agers as members of a gang, but they said the incident was not gang-related, Gonis said.