Gangbanger pleads guilty after fatally shooting a teenager in the back at El Salvador Park

Juan Sotelo Gatica, a 26-year-old gangbanger with a previous felony conviction, will be sentenced on Sept. 26, for fatally shooting Rodrigo Aguilar, a 15-year-old, at Santa Ana’s El Salvador Park, on March 25, 2020.

Gatica pled guilty to felony charges of attempted robbery, five counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a count of possession of a gun by a felon. Gatica also admitted sentencing enhancements for gang activity. Originally Gatica was facing a murder charge with a special circumstance allegation of a robbery.

Gatica’s co-defendant, Daniel Contreras, remains a fugitive from the law.

Aguilar went to El Salvador Park with five of his friends to play basketball, according to court papers filed by the prosecutors.

The teens ended up climbing onto the top of the park’s snack bar to share a marijuana joint as Gatica and Contreras were walking by and Gatica for some reason felt that the teens had disrespected his gang, according to the prosecutors.

Gatica and Contreras accosted the teens as they were leaving the park and going to their car, telling them to empty their pockets. One of the teens fought back, punching Gatica in the face repeatedly and eventually knocking Gatica out.

The other teens also fought back against Contreras and then started running away. That is when Contreras and Aguilar showed what cowards they were as they shot at the backs of the teenagers, killing Aguilar.