On July 29, 2024, at approximately 4:05 a.m., Santa Ana Police responded to reports of a shooting near 600 South Harbor Boulevard. Upon arrival, officers discovered 20-year-old Jennifer Ninel Rodriguez lying near the entrance of a business, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to her upper torso. Despite immediate medical attention from the Orange County Fire Authority, Rodriguez succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital.
Following an extensive investigation, Santa Ana Police Homicide Detectives identified the shooting as gang-related and named 42-year-old Santa Ana resident, Roland Rocha, as the primary suspect. With assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Rocha was apprehended in Compton on September 3, 2024. He was subsequently booked at the Santa Ana Jail on charges of murder under Penal Code § 187(a).
The case was presented to the Orange County District Attorney's Office, which filed formal murder charges against Rocha. His arraignment was scheduled for September 5, 2024, in Orange County Superior Court. Authorities have urged anyone with additional information regarding the case to contact the Santa Ana Police Department's Homicide Section or Orange County Crime Stoppers.
