Gunshot leads to arrest, evacuation Costa Mesa...

Gunshot leads to arrest, evacuation

Costa Mesa police arrested a 30-year-old man Wednesday on

suspicion of firing a gun at a colleague’s parked pickup truck,

officials said.

No one was injured in the 4:15 p.m. incident.

Both the suspect, Jorge Luis Romero, and the unidentified victim

were employees at an office building at Harbor Boulevard and

Sunflower Avenue, said Costa Mesa police officials said.

“One of the employees was mad at the other and apparently fired at

the truck,” said Sgt. Bob Durham.

He said both men “worked in the same area, but have had no

altercation prior to this.”

A clean, round bullet hole could be seen just below the truck’s

door handle. The bullet had penetrated through the door to the inside

of the truck. The victim said he was inside the building when the

alleged incident occurred.

“I didn’t even know anything happened,” he said. “Someone told me

and I came out to see what happened.”

Police evacuated the two-story office building, arrested Romero

and led him away in handcuffs as other employees looked on.

Cindy Dawson said she was at her desk when her supervisor said

everyone should go outside at once.

“I was kind of shocked, but I don’t think any of us panicked,” she

said. “We came outside and there was police everywhere.”

Romero was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm in

public, shooting an unoccupied vehicle and vandalism.

Two accidents slow evening rush hour

The northbound Costa Mesa Freeway was backed up between the Corona

del Mar and San Diego freeways after two unrelated crashes along that

stretch of the freeway tied up three lanes Wednesday evening,

California Highway Patrol officials said.

The first accident, an injury crash, occurred about 6:09 p.m. at

the San Diego Freeway and the second, a two-car collision, happened

about 6:25 p.m. at the Corona del Mar Freeway. No injuries were

reported in the second crash.

No SigAlert was issued, but traffic was slow, officials said.