4th teen arrested in gang shooting

Costa Mesa police have arrested a fourth teenager in connection with a gang-related shooting Nov. 1 on Shalimar Drive.

The 15-year-old boy, a Costa Mesa resident whom police did not name, was arrested at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday and charged with attempted homicide and committing gang crimes, Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Marty Carver said. Three other boys, all 17-year-old Costa Mesa residents, were arrested Nov. 3 on the same charges.

Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Paul Beckman said the shooting victim, a 21-year-old Costa Mesa man, remained at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana with injuries that are not life-threatening.

He was shot in the chest and arm with a shotgun in what police believe was a gang-related attack.

The gun has not been found, and police are not saying which of the boys they believe was the shooter.

Carver said the 15-year-old was arrested when an officer from the Police Department’s gang unit was driving by Joann and Maple streets and recognized him.

Police said one of the three 17-year-olds was arrested at Estancia High School, where he was a student; another was arrested at a continuation school, and the third at a residence.

Beckman said the investigation is continuing, so he could not release information about the motives or circumstances of the crime.

Police originally said they thought three men approached the victim in his driveway in the 700 block of Shalimar Drive and asked about his gang affiliation, shooting him when he denied belonging to a gang.

Beckman said there’s probably not just one reason for the increase in gang activity in Costa Mesa over the last several months, and he noted that this isn’t the only place it’s been on the rise.

“Other communities within Orange County and probably the region are experiencing an increase in criminal street gang activity,” he said. “We’re certainly not the only ones.”

The City Council approved money to hire two more gang unit officers as part of the annual budget in June, but Beckman said he’s not sure how soon they’ll be hired.

“It really boils down to the overall departmental staffing issue,” he said, referring to the current shortage of officers.

The council also recently voted for more funding to step up recruiting efforts.