SAPD detectives arrested a Downtown Santa Ana murder suspect

On Saturday, January 22nd, 2022, at 10:40 PM, Officers responded to 300 W. 5th Street regarding reports of a shooting. Officers arrived on scene and discovered a male adult victim suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper torso. Orange County Fire Authority pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. The Orange County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as Zion Gonzalez (18) of Moreno Valley, Ca.

During the preliminary investigation, it was determined the shooting occurred outside The West End Kitchen & Pub establishment shortly after an altercation occurred inside. Surveillance video captured the shooting, leading detectives to the identification and arrest of the suspect, Mateo Jerome Paul (19) of Gardena. Further investigation revealed all parties involved were suspected out of county gang members.

With the concurrence from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, SAPD Homicide detectives booked Paul for CPC 187- Murder. On February 3, 2022, Paul was formally charged for Murder by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Chief David Valentin stated, “Ensuring a safe and vibrant Downtown for all is one of our highest priorities. Our highly skilled and committed homicide detectives, along with our community partnerships and our collaboration with the Gardena Police Department, is the reason this violent criminal was quickly apprehended. We will continue our critical community partnerships to address, mitigate and prevent crime.”

Anyone with additional information on the case is asked to call SAPD Homicide Section Detectives at (714) 245-8390, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.