Angel Junior Vuelvas was a 19-year-old Hispanic man from Santa Ana, California. On the evening of Monday, June 3, 2024, at approximately 6:42 p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1100 block of South Poplar Street. When they arrived, officers found Vuelvas lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics with the Orange County Fire Authority treated him at the scene and transported him to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Santa Ana Police
Department homicide detectives took over the investigation and determined the shooting was gang-related. Their work quickly led them to identify a suspect, 19-year-old Gabriel Gutierrez, also a resident of Santa Ana. Gutierrez was arrested on June 7, 2024, and was subsequently charged with murder. The charge included a sentencing enhancement for a gang member’s vicarious discharge of a gun causing great bodily injury. On July 2, 2024, Gutierrez pleaded not guilty.
Further investigation led to the arrest of a second suspect on September 10, 2024. Cesar Gaspar, a 19-year-old from the nearby city of Westminster, was identified as a participant in the fatal shooting. Two days after his arrest, Gaspar was charged with murder with special circumstances allegations of a drive-by shooting and criminal gang activity. He also faced charges of possession of a gun by a probationer and possession of a gun under the age of 30 with a prior offense, along with a sentencing enhancement for discharging a gun that caused a death.
At his arraignment, Gaspar did not enter a plea, and the hearing was rescheduled for September 30, 2024. As of September 2024, the case against both men was proceeding through the court system. The investigation remains active, and the case is eligible for the city's Gang Reward Program. Detectives have asked anyone with information regarding the shooting to call the SAPD Homicide Section at 714-245-8390. Anonymous tips can be made to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
