3 teens held as shooting suspects

Costa Mesa Police arrested three suspects Tuesday in connection with a gang shooting of a 15-year-old girl in Costa Mesa on July 28, police said.

Salvador Hilario Burciaga, 19, a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy, all Costa Mesa residents, were picked up at about 3 p.m. Tuesday when the Costa Mesa Police Department Gang Detail stopped two vehicles containing the gang members thought to be involved in the shooting, police said. The two younger suspects were not identified because they are minors.

The suspects were being held on suspicion of attempted homicide and conspiracy with enhancements for gang involvement, police said.

The girl was shot at about 6:13 p.m. July 28 when the gunman — who masked his face with a bandanna — approached a large group of friends in the 700 block of Shalimar Drive with a shotgun, police said. He asked the group, “Where you from?” witnesses said, and then fired one shell at the group.

The 15-year-old girl, who was not from the neighborhood, was wounded and taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Police were unsure whether she has since been released from the hospital, but her injuries at the time were not considered life-threatening.

The investigation is ongoing, and the gang affiliation of the suspect has not been determined, police said.

Costa Mesa’s Shalimar neighborhood has gained notoriety for gang activity over the years. In an effort to combat the crime, police left only one street open to cars. Other street exits are blocked with cement barriers.