Two suspected Santa Ana gangbangers charged with murdering a rival gang member

David Angel Lopez and Anthony Garcia, both 20-years-old, were charged on Monday with a gang-related fatal shooting of 18-year-old Miguel Angel Benitez, a rival gang member in Santa Ana.

The killing happened on Sep. 2, at about 5 pm., at the 1600 block of South Evergreen St., which is just south of Madison Park.

The victim was found with gunshot wounds to his upper body by the responding SAPD police officers. Paramedics rushed Benitez to a hospital where he later died, according to the SAPD.

The motive for the shooting appears to be that Benitez was a member of a gang that is a rival to the gang that Lopez and Garcia belong to.

Lopez and Garcia are facing felony charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, assault with a firearm and participation in criminal street gang activity. They are also looking at sentencing enhancements for gang activity, discharge of a gun causing death, gang member vicarious discharge of a firearm, gang activity, and personally using a firearm. On top of all that Garcia also faces a felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

No word yet if Lopez and Garcia will argue that they were just having a bad mental health day when they allegedly shot and killed Benitez.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

See Full Bio