A drive-by shooting on a residential Santa Ana street this week ended with a foot chase, a discarded gun, and the discovery of two small children riding in the suspect vehicle. Three people now face felony charges, including child endangerment, after police say a gunman opened fire on a pedestrian from a moving car before speeding away.
According to the Santa Ana Police Department, officers responded to the area of 120 S. Birch St. after a report of shots fired and found several expended cartridge cases scattered in the street. A witness told officers that a suspect had shot at a pedestrian from a vehicle before fleeing the scene. The intended victim was not hurt, police said.
An officer located the suspect vehicle about 20 minutes later, setting off a chaotic scene. The front passenger jumped out and ran, triggering a foot pursuit before officers took him into custody. He had discarded a firearm during the chase, which officers recovered, per the department’s account.
Two Children Found Inside the Getaway Car
The remaining occupants of the vehicle were detained, and among them were two small children who police believe were inside the car at the time of the shooting. The children were unharmed and were released to a responsible family member, the department said. In total, three subjects were arrested on various felony charges, including child endangerment…