[UPDATED with Victim and Suspect I.D.'s, Charges:] Luis Arreola, OC Homicide No. 10: Shot Outside Apartments


UPDATE, MAY 2, 10:23 A.M.: The trail from the body of Luis Arreola, who died in an emergency room after being found with gunshot wounds outside apartments in Anaheim April 25, led investigators to alleged meth dealers and an apparent plot to steal drugs from them.

Six suspects from Anaheim, Commerce, Montebello and Los Angeles had their Wednesday arraignments on charges of murder and
conspiracy to sell and distribute methamphetamine continued to May 22.
]


Here's how the Orange County District Attorney's office (OCDA) says it went down (remembering innocent until proven guilty):

Juan Carlos Carranza,
24, and Alma Lopez Trinidad, 25, both of Anaheim, conspired with Arreola to steal meth from dealers Rocio Alejandra Badilla, 21, and Jose Felix Zepeda, 39,
both of Los Angeles, Agustin Vazquez Velazquez, 26, of Montebello, and Kain
Espinoza
, 27, of Commerce.

Trinidad contacted Espinoza and
Velazquez last Wednesday about scoring three pounds of
meth, which would be supplied by Zepeda. Later in the day, Carranza went to Velazquez's home with Arreola and an unidentified man.


Carranza pulled a gun and fled with the drugs with Arreola, but they left Arreola's friend behind.

Badilla,
Espinoza, Velazquez and Zepeda are accused of kidnapping the man and
forcing him to drive them to Carranza's apartment on East Clifton Avenue, where Arreola was later found shot in the neck.

After the shooting, the dealers allegedly left with their looted drugs.

Carranza and Trinidad are charged with one felony count each of murder, first degree
residential burglary, and conspiracy to commit a crime.


Carranza is
additionally charged with sentencing enhancements for the personal use
of a firearm and possession of a substance to distribute exceeding one
kilogram.

If convicted on all counts, Carranza could get 45 years to life in state prison and Trinidad may draw 35 years to life.

Badilla, Zepeda, Velazquez and Espinoza are charged with one
felony count of murder, two felony counts of conspiracy to commit a
crime, and one felony count of kidnapping to commit a robbery.


Velazquez
and Zepeda, who were being held on $2 million bail each, are additionally charged with special circumstances
sentencing enhancements for murder during the commission of a robbery,
the personal use of a firearm, and possession of a substance to
distribute exceeding one kilogram.

Convictions could bring Zepeda
and Velazquez sentences of life without
the possibility of parole.

Badilla faces up to 35 years
to life and Espinoza 33 years to life with guilty verdicts.


Carranza, Trinidad,
Velazquez and Zepeda are subject to a no-bail Immigration and Customs
Enforcement holds.

The unidentified man has not been charged as he apparently did not know what he was walking into.

ORIGINAL POST, APRIL 26, 9:15 A.M.: Anaheim Police received numerous calls of shots fired before arriving
around 7:45 p.m. Wednesday to an apartment complex in the 300 block of
East Clifton Avenue, where a man on the front walkway had been shot.

He was rushed to emergency, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. His name and age have not been revealed.

Gang and homicide investigators need clues. If you have any information that can help them, call 714.765.1944.

With five, Anaheim so far has half of Orange County's homicides this year.

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