Crime & Safety

1 Arrested In Aliso Viejo Shooting

A former Laguna Beach resident was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of attempted murder at an Aliso Viejo apartment complex, cops say.

Zachary James McGuinness, 23, of Laguna Beach
Zachary James McGuinness, 23, of Laguna Beach (Laguna Beach Police Department Photo)

ALISO VIEJO, CA —Police were called to reports of "shots being fired" 0 block of Via Aberuzzi, a residential neighborhood, Saturday night. Orange County Sheriff's Department and the Laguna Beach Police Department, working together, sought a man who allegedly "shot at multiple subjects" at a residential complex in Aliso Viejo Saturday night, April 20.

Though no one sustained injuries during the initial shooting, witnesses were able to share a description of the suspect as "a white male with black hair, driving an older model gray Toyota truck," LBPD Sgt. Jim Cota said.

OCSD deputies were unable to locate the vehicle, but did learn a "possible identity of the suspect," Cota said.

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LBPD officers were asked to watch the home of Zachary James McGuinness, 23. During the night, they saw him exit the Holly Drive home "with a gun in his hand," Cota told Patch. The weapon was similar to the "black semi-automatic handgun" that was reported as the weapon in the Aliso Viejo shooting attack.

The suspect, thought to be armed and dangerous, was arrested near the 31000 block of Holly Drive, Laguna Beach Police said. LBPD officers took McGuinness into custody "without incident, bringing this dangerous situation to an end," Cota said.

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McGuinness was charged with attempted murder, illegal discharge of a firearm with negligence, and the investigation is ongoing.


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