A 36-year-old man with a previous felony conviction was convicted Thursday of a gang-related shooting and convenience store robbery in Santa Ana five years ago.
Erick Benitez Mendoza was convicted of shooting a man in the chest and upper arm, while also grazing his head, about 10 p.m. March 6, 2020, in front of an apartment building at 1107 W. Highland St., between Bristol and Flower streets, prosecutors said in a trial brief.
The following night Mendoza was pulled over in the same car, which was registered to his mother, that he and two others fled in after the shooting, prosecutors said. Mendoza claimed to be in bed at the time of the shooting, but cellphone records indicated he was in the area, prosecutors said…