Police Arrest Suspect in Schoolyard Shooting : Crime: Santa Ana police say the gang member may have been the lone gunman in the fatal attack.

SANTA ANA —  A 19-year-old gang member who works as a security guard at a Tustin business was arrested Friday in connection with last week’s fatal shooting of a man at Santa Ana High School after a pickup basketball game, police officials announced.

Police Lt. Robert Helton said the suspect, Uciel T. Murgo, is believed to have been the lone gunman in the unprovoked attack 10 days ago by a group of gang members that left Mauro Meza, 31, dead and three of his relatives wounded.

Helton said Murgo was arrested about noon Friday at police headquarters on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after being questioned in the case. He was taken to Orange County Jail where he was being held on $250,000 bail.

“We had been interviewing him prior to today,” Helton said.

The case has stirred up a communitywide resolve to find solutions to the city’s growing gang violence.

“With this arrest, I think we can assure people that this kind of a crime is not going to go on without an all-out response and an all-out prosecution,” Mayor Daniel H. Young said.

Police Chief Paul M. Walters added: “I think it’s real important to the community that the case has been solved.”

Although the investigation is continuing and other gang members present during the shooting are being sought for questioning, Walters said he believed that Murgo would be the only one who would be arrested.

Meza, a deliveryman for a nursery, was shot in the mouth and head the evening of April 15 as he and his eight companions attempted to drive away after a pickup basketball game at the high school.

Police said the gang members taunted Meza and his group and then opened fire on their van when one of the gang members was refused a cigarette.

When informed of Friday’s arrest, Meza’s brother, Benito Meza, 20, who was wounded in the attack, said: “If they have got him, well that’s good.”

His 24-year-old brother, Winulfo, remained hospitalized at UCI Medical Center in Orange, recovering from a gunshot wound to the head.

“He does not speak,” Benito Meza said. “But he’s getting better.”

After initially suspecting that two people had fired the shots, investigators have concluded that Murgo was solely responsible, police officials said. Although they would not comment on their investigation or why it centered on Murgo, they said the weapon has not been found.

Officials did credit the Police Department’s gang detail for its diligent work that led to the arrest, despite the lack of cooperation from witnesses to the shooting.

“The arrest culminates a very complicated and difficult investigation,” Helton said.

Earlier in the week, Walters told City Council members that witnesses who could provide valuable information had refused to talk even after being offered a cash reward.

Citizens refused to provide information, Helton added, because of a fear of retaliation or because they did not want to be labeled a “snitch.”

Ironically, Helton said, the department was breaking from normal procedure and was not releasing the suspect’s address--except to say that he lives in the central area of the city--because of Murgo’s fear that his family may be attacked.

“He told our investigators that he now has concerns over his safety and the safety of his family,” a fear stemming from recent newspaper reports in which rival gang members threatened to go after those involved in the Meza shooting, Helton said.

Those familiar with gangs have previously indicated that the area near the high school is controlled by a gang from Myrtle Street, but two other gangs also are known to frequent the area.

Meanwhile, top city officials said they hoped the arrest eased some of the political tension that had been building in the community since the shooting.

“I think this will help the healing process in the community,” Councilman Robert L. Richardson said.

While applauding the Police Department’s efforts, other community leaders who recently have become involved in gang prevention cautioned city leaders not to forget the larger issue.

“Having arrested this individual is by no means solving the problem,” said Santa Ana attorney Alfredo Amezcua, who has proposed a gang prevention plan. “We still have the inflicted family, we still have the gang culture thinking this guy is a real hero in their eyes.”

Councilman John Acosta said he had “nothing but praise for our Police Department,” but he also gave credit to members of the Latino community for placing public pressure on the mayor and council to focus on the gang issue.

He urged that the city’s nine-member gang task force--which had 30 members two years ago--be strengthened to effectively combat the gang violence.

Sandpointe Neighborhood Assn. chairman Jim Walker, who helped organize a community meeting on the gang problem Thursday night, said “the damage is done.” Pointing to the need for long-term solutions, Walker said the arrest “does not prevent there being another Mauro Meza next Saturday.”

Young agreed that work would continue on the gang prevention movement that is spreading across the city.

“The community is now going to have an opportunity to focus on how we can rid this town of gang violence,” he said.