People v. Villareal CA4/3

FACTS

The Locotes and the Lopers are rival Santa Ana street gangs. In 2017, appellant, a self-admitted Locotes member, drove his car into an alley in Lopers territory where Loper Brandon Z. was hanging out with his friends. When Brandon saw the car, he took off running, but appellant’s front passenger Jesus Casarrubias fired multiple gunshots out his window, hitting him in the wrist and ankle. The police were summoned, and Brandon was taken to the hospital and treated for his wounds. Appellant fled the scene but was soon spotted driving in Locotes territory with Casarrubias and backseat passenger Rafael Marin. When officers tried to pull them over, appellant refused to yield and led police on a high-speed chase. At one point during the pursuit, appellant stopped to let Casarrubias and Marin out at the apartment of Marin’s girlfriend Daisy Aveldanez. Then he sped off again before eventually pulling over and surrendering. Meanwhile, the police surrounded Aveldanez’s apartment and captured Marin and Casarrubias. They also took Aveldanez into custody and discovered she was in possession of the gun Casarrubias used to shoot Brandon.

2 Appellant, Casarrubias and Marin were jointly…