Orange County District Attorney Press Release, For Immediate Release: May 7, 2012

Contacts:

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff, Office: 714-347-8408, Cell: 714-292-2718

Farrah Emami, Spokesperson, Office: 714-347-8405, Cell: 714-323-4486

14-YEAR-OLD GANG MEMBER CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR SHOOTING A 16-YEAR-OLD BOY IN THE CHEST

SANTA ANA – A 14-year-old gang member was charged today with attempted murder for shooting and causing great bodily injury to a 16-year-old boy outside Santa Ana High School. Oswaldo Sotello, 14, Santa Ana, is being charged as an adult with one felony count of attempted murder and one felony count of street terrorism with sentencing enhancements for the personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury and criminal street gang activity. If convicted, Sotello faces a maximum sentence of 40 years to life in state prison and is being held on $1 million bail. Sotello is scheduled for a continued arraignment hearing on May 25, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 3:00 p.m. on April 27, 2012, as students were leaving Santa Ana High School, Sotello is accused of getting into a verbal altercation with 16-year-old John Doe just outside the school grounds. During the argument Sotello is accused of pulling out a gun and shooting John Doe in the chest. The defendant is accused of fleeing the scene. The victim was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the upper torso and remains in critical condition.

Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD), who investigated this case, arrested the defendant on May 3, 2012.

The investigation is ongoing. If you have any information, you are encouraged to call (855) TIP-OCCS or the witness information gang hotline (714) 245-8648 or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Curtis McLean at (714) 347-8521.

Deputy District Attorney Rahul Gupta of the TARGET Unit is prosecuting this case.

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Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney
401 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701