A vehicle search that led investigators to Garden Grove helped Santa Ana police identify and arrest a suspect in a road rage shooting that seriously wounded a 49-year-old man. The department announced on November 12 that Jesse Vega, 24, of Santa Ana, had been booked into the Santa Ana Jail in connection with the shooting.
Officers were dispatched to First Street and Lyon Street at about 1:03 p.m. on November 11 following reports of gunfire. They found the wounded man with multiple gunshot injuries to his lower extremities, according to the police department’s account of the incident.
Orange County Fire Authority paramedics transported the man to a nearby hospital in critical condition. He underwent emergency medical treatment, and his condition subsequently stabilized. The shooting occurred during an afternoon confrontation involving the drivers of a GMC Sierra pickup and a Honda Civic.
Investigators’ preliminary account indicates that both vehicles had been heading west on First Street near Lyon Street when a road rage dispute developed. The pickup driver stopped, stepped out of his vehicle and approached the driver’s side door of the Civic, which had stopped behind the truck.
A physical confrontation followed, and the pickup driver was shot several times. The Civic then left the scene. Police identified Vega as its driver through further investigation after officers located the vehicle in neighboring Garden Grove.
Santa Ana Directed Enforcement officers used Automated License Plate Reader technology, along with other departmental resources, to track the Civic. Officers found the car unoccupied and impounded it as evidence. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, with homicide detectives handling the case.
The case is currently classified as an assault with a deadly weapon investigation. Prosecutors with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office review the complete evidence before deciding which formal felony counts to file.
The use of license plate tracking comes as Santa Ana reviews its camera contracts. On October 20, the City Council directed the city manager and police department to return within 30 days with a full cost breakdown, an overdue one-year effectiveness report and options for modifying or terminating contracts with Flock and Motorola.
Detectives are seeking additional information about the shooting. Anyone with details can contact the Santa Ana Police Department at (714) 245-8390 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
