Man Shot to Death in Parked Car Identified

SANTA ANA — Police identified a 20-year-old man who was shot and killed after an alleged drug dealer fired at his car at least six times for no apparent reason, police said Thursday.

Andres Joaquin Navarro Sanchez of Santa Ana was pronounced dead on Wednesday while he and a companion stopped in the 1120 block of West Highland Street to buy cocaine, said Lt. Robert Helton.

Navarro’s companion, Moises Garcia Santos, 23, of Santa Ana, who was shot in the hip, told police that he and Navarro were parked in a car on Highland Street about 8:20 p.m. when the shooting began.

Navarro was shot in the back when the gunman fired at least six times into the car, striking both Garcia and Navarro, Helton said.

“They contacted a drug dealer who came up to the car. They talked and then the drug dealer left like just for a minute or so. The dealer came back and started shooting up the car,” Helton said.

Helton said that Garcia knew of no reason why the drug dealer, who they met for the first time that night, opened fire.

“He told us that they pulled up there to buy some drugs and all of a sudden this guy starts firing,” Helton said.

Garcia drove to a gasoline station and called police, Helton said.

The suspect was identified only as a “male Hispanic,” Helton said.

Navarro was pronounced dead at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana. Garcia was in stable condition at the same hospital.