SANTA ANA : Man Held in October Drive-By Shooting

A Santa Ana man has been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting death and armed robbery that occurred nearly eight months ago, police said.

David Reymundo, 21, is accused of killing 25-year-old Adrian Salazar Deleon of Santa Ana with a gun Reymundo allegedly stole from a reserve police officer, police said.

Orange police had initially arrested Reymundo Sunday on suspicion of a string of car burglaries and later discovered that he was wanted by Santa Ana police on murder and robbery warrants.

The robbery occurred Oct. 7 when Reymundo apparently approached the reserve officer at gunpoint in the parking lot of a Santa Ana restaurant and stole his car, Santa Ana Police Sgt. Joe Efther said.

The officer’s weapon was inside the trunk of the car, Efther said. A short time later, the car was recovered but the weapon was missing, he said.

A week after the robbery, police allege that Reymundo drove to the home of Deleon and his 16-year-old nephew, exchanged words and fired four rounds from the stolen gun, the sergeant said. Deleon was fatally struck in the back of his head, Efther said.

The day after the shooting, Reymundo was arrested for possession of the stolen weapon and released on bail, Efther said.

A police investigation later surmised that Reymundo had committed both the robbery and shooting, but by that time, the suspect had fled and jumped bail, police said.