Man accused of killing 13-year-old in Santa Ana, injuring teen bystander pleads not guilty – Orange County Register

A 27-year-old man accused of killing a 13-year-old boy and injuring a 16-year-old bystander during a midday drive-by shooting in front of a Santa Ana elementary school pleaded not guilty on Thursday, Aug. 15, to special-circumstances murder.

Raymond Mario Jimenez, a Santa Ana resident, also plead not guilty to attempted murder for the June 5, 2024, shooting that killed Daniel Vargas and injured an older teen.

The killing — which police previously indicated is believed to have been gang-related — was part of a “brazen drive-by shooting in a highly-populated residential area” and led to the temporary lockdown of the school, prosecutors wrote in a criminal complaint.

According to prosecutors, Vargas and another 13-year-old were shot at during a confrontation around 12:15 p.m. on Pine Street. The two teens ran toward their apartment building, which was a few blocks away on Bishop Avenue.

Jimenez drove up to the two 13-year-olds, prosecutors allege, stopped and opened fire, apparently near Lowell Elementary School.

Vargas was struck in the head, prosecutors said, but his companion avoided the gunfire.

A 16-year-old innocent bystander — who apparently looked out a kitchen window during the shooting — was also struck by a bullet in the head.

Vargas died a few days later. The 16-year-old survived, according to prosecutors.

Supporters in a GoFundMe posting described Vargas as an “extraordinary young teen” who “was known for his passion for soccer and his excitement about starting high school.”

The exact motive for the shootings is not clear. The case is being handled by a prosecutor with an expertise in gangs.

If convicted as charged, Jimenez faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.