Shooting shakes community

As officers continue to keep watch over a Costa Mesa neighborhood shaken by a fatal shooting Wednesday, residents are calling police with information about what may have happened that night, police said.

Police said they’re working all hours to find whomever killed one man and wounded four others in a drive-by shooting in an alley behind a Costa Mesa apartment complex in the 1300 block of West Baker Street.

“Certainly, we’ve stepped up patrols in that area to try and keep peace if anybody’s thinking about doing anything silly,” Costa Mesa Lt. Tom Curtis said.

Police are still trying to sort out whether the shooting is gang-related.

“We’re still exploring that as far as who the players are and what the motivation was and what may have preceded it,” Curtis said.

People in the neighborhood are telling police they’re scared, and that’s understandable considering what happened, Curtis said.

“It’s a reasonable fear that they have,” Curtis said.

Police are not releasing details of what happened that night, other than to say that they are “talking to anyone and everyone” who might know something, Curtis said.

“We’re putting in long hours and following up leads,” Costa Mesa Det. Don Holford added.

A gunman in a Chevrolet Impala fired multiple shots out of the car, hitting five people who were gathered in an alley outside an apartment complex. Israel Maciel, 23, died at the scene. The other four victims, three men and one juvenile, were hospitalized, and some had been released as of late Friday.

Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor’s reaction to the shooting provoked angry e-mails to the Daily Pilot from residents who thought his response was insensitive to the victim’s family.

Mansoor told the Daily Pilot on Thursday that the shooting shows that city officials have work to do to get rid of the “job center, soup kitchens and a high concentration of downscale rental units” that he thinks drives the city down.

Mansoor on Friday stood by his earlier comments but added that he felt for the victims’ families.

“Certainly, our focus is going to be on finding the suspects and bringing justice to the situation, and I have complete sympathy for the family members,” he said.

“I wholeheartedly mean it when I say I want to take the welcome mat away from gang members and criminals.

“My approach is the same no matter what in terms of stronger law enforcement and revitalization of the community.”