A 28-year-old accused of opening fire on undercover gang officers in an Orange neighborhood has been charged with attempted murder, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
The two officers were driving through a neighborhood known to have gang activity on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 21, when a man prosecutors have identified as Victor Manuel Trinidad shouted at them, “What’s up, homie, where you from?”
He is accused of grabbing something from his waistband, according to a DA’s statement.
The Orange officers, who recognized Trinidad and believed he had a gun, returned to the area 20 minutes later, bringing with them a county probation officer, prosecutors said.
The officers spotted Trinidad, who prosecutors say began “aggressively” walking toward the unmarked police vehicle while “throwing up his hands.”
Trinidad opened fire on the officers as they got out of their vehicle, prosecutors say. The two undercover officers returned fire, prosecutors said, but no one was struck.
A round was later found in the door of the police vehicle, prosecutors added.
After the gunfire, Trinidad was found hiding in a cabinet in a nearby home, prosecutors said, and taken into custody.
Prosecutors said it is unclear whether Trinidad knew that the people in the vehicle were officers.
Along with the attempted murder charge, Trinidad is also facing additional felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm at a vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Due to existing “strikes” on his record from previous convictions, Trinidad is facing up to life in prison if convicted of the current charges.
“This dangerous criminal didn’t care who was in that car; he opened fire to send a message that they didn’t belong in his neighborhood,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “Thankfully, the officers were not injured and they will continue to do the work to protect our communities from the scourge of gangs.”
Trinidad appeared in court on Wednesday but did not enter a plea, records show. He is scheduled to return to court in December.