UPDATE NO. 3, APRIL 12, 1:49 P.M.: The mother of Mauricio “Marty” Martinez’s son has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for memorial expenses. Here is her description of the deceased:
Anyone that knew Mauricio knows he had a BIG SMILE and an even BIGGER HEART. If one thing can be said about Marty is that he was the essential example of not judging a book by its cover. Mauricio was and is a father, son, brother, cousin, nephew, friend and so much more. His biggest aspirations in life were his lovely newborn son, family and future plans as a father. If he was your friend, you knew he was the type to be there for you. As a family member he always had a special place in all of our hearts. He loved life and made sure he lived every second of it, no matter what situation he found himself in. He will not only be missed his family and his significant other, but by all the people that knew him. His son will not only miss daddy, but will miss out on a life together.
UPDATE NO. 2, APRIL 12, 11:06 A.M.: The Santa Ana Police Department has identified the victim and his suspected killer in Tuesday’s slaying outside Casa Del Rey Bar.
The deceased was Mauricio Martinez, according to a police advisory that adds SAPD homicide detectives “assumed the investigation and identified Augustin Ceja (19) as the suspect responsible for Martinez’s murder. With the assistance of personnel from Santa Ana Police Department’s Special Investigations and Field Operations, Ceja was taken into custody without incident on April 11, 2017. At the time of Ceja’s arrest he was in possession of a loaded firearm. He was subsequently booked for murder.”
Ceja is from Santa Ana, 27-year-old Martinez lived in Tustin and police do not believe they knew one another before the incident.
UPDATE NO. 1, APRIL 11, 5:03 P.M.: The Santa Ana Police Department has provided more details that likely rule out a gang and/or drive-by shooting.
The call about a shooting that came in at 12:08 this morning was from Casa Del Rey Bar, 230 W. Warner Ave. “Preliminary investigation revealed bar patrons may have become engaged in an argument in the parking lot, which resulted in a shooting,” reads a SAPD advisory. “The actual motive is still under investigation.” Police indicate the victim has been identified, but the county coroner is not releasing the name until his family has been notified. Know anything about this? Call the SAPD Homicide Unit at 714.245.8390.
ORIGINAL POST, APRIL 11, 9:33 A.M.: A man was shot and killed around midnight today in Santa Ana, possibly in a drive-by.
Calls of shots fired sent police officers to a parking lot in the 200 block of Warner Avenue, near Birch Street, where a man with a gunshot wound to his upper torso was discovered, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
The victim, who has yet to be identified, was declared dead at the scene by fire department paramedics.
There is no information about a suspect or suspects, but witnesses apparently saw a white SUV dart off from the scene, police say.
Anyone who can help investigators fill in the blanks is asked to call the SAPD Homicide Unit at 714.245.8390. Orange County Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips at 855.847.6227.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.