On Monday, April 27, 2026, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Santa Ana Police officers responded to 300 N. Daisy Avenue after reports of a man who had just been shot and was down in the street.
Upon arrival, officers located the victim, John Albert Guillen (58), suffering from a single gunshot wound to his upper torso. Despite life-saving measures, Paramedics from the Orange County Fire Authority pronounced Guillen deceased at the scene.
Update:
Homicide Detectives prompted an investigation following the incident and identified Daniel Izaih Torres (19) and Alicia Rebecca Marin (20) as the suspects. On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, both Torres and Marin were taken into custody by detectives in Santa Ana.
The investigation revealed that the suspects confronted the victim as he was getting into his vehicle over a gang rivalry, then shot him twice before fleeing the scene. Torres and Marin were subsequently booked at the Santa Ana Jail for Penal Code § 187(a) with gang enhancements.
Anyone with additional information is asked to call SAPD Homicide Section Detectives at (714) 245-8390, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
Potential Charges and Penalties Faced by the Suspects
- First-Degree Murder (PC 187): If the killing is determined to be willful, deliberate, and premeditated (often the case in planned gang confrontations), it carries a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison.
- Second-Degree Murder (PC 187): If the intent to kill was present but not premeditated, the standard sentence is 15 years to life.
- Gang Enhancement (PC 186.22): This specific allegation adds significant time to the base murder sentence. For violent felonies like murder committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang, defendants can face an additional 10 years to life to be served consecutively.
- Firearm Enhancements (PC 12022.53): Although not explicitly listed in your summary, shooting a victim typically triggers California’s “10-20-Life” law. Personally and intentionally discharging a firearm causing death can add an additional 25 years to life to the sentence.
Total Combined Sentencing
In California, these penalties are often “stacked.” A typical gang-related shooting resulting in death can lead to a combined sentence of 50 years to life or more (e.g., 25-to-life for the murder plus an additional 25-to-life for the firearm enhancement)
Key Legal Factors for 2026
- Presumption of Innocence: Both suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- Gang Evidence Standards: Under recent laws like the STEP Forward Act (AB 333), prosecutors must prove that the gang’s benefit from the crime was “more than reputational” (e.g., financial gain or specific retaliation) to uphold the enhancements.
- Bifurcation: The defense may request a bifurcated trial, meaning the jury first decides if a murder occurred before hearing inflammatory evidence about gang membership for the enhancement phase.