5th suspect arrested in August killing

An Irvine man is being held at Costa Mesa Jail on $1 million bail after being arrested in connection with the Aug. 2 drive-by shooting death of 23-year-old Costa Mesa resident Israel Maciel, Costa Mesa police said Friday.

Bryce Novoa, 20, was arrested by Costa Mesa detectives around 5 p.m. Thursday near San Juan Street and Red Hill Avenue in Tustin, Sgt. Marty Carver said. He is the fifth person arrested in connection with the shooting that left Maciel dead and four others wounded.

Detectives spoke with Novoa once during the initial investigation in August, but no arrest was made, Carver said. Novoa is not a known gang member, and detectives aren’t releasing how they think Novoa was involved, but they don’t think he was the shooter, Carver said.

On Aug. 2, Maciel was shot to death when a man in a silver Chevrolet Impala opened fire in an alley behind apartment buildings in the 1300 block of West Baker Street.

Ivan Barcenas, 18, of Costa Mesa; Edgar Eduardo Perez, 18, of Costa Mesa; Carlos Gutierrez, 25, of Huntington Beach; and a 17-year-old boy were injured in the shooting.

Joshua Anthony Blount, 22, of Compton was arrested Sept. 26 and has been charged with murder. The charge was enhanced because he is accused of being the shooter. Blount remains in custody, along with Anthony Nicholas Dispensa, who also has been charged with murder. Both men are being held at Orange County’s Central Men’s Jail on $1 million bail. Dispensa was arrested Oct. 13 at a motel in Buena Park.

Blount’s girlfriend, Rachel Lauren Salorio, 22, of Irvine, was arrested when she visited Blount at Costa Mesa Jail Sept. 27. She has pleaded not guilty to an accessory-to-murder charge.

David Steven Ortega was arrested Sept. 28 and was charged with being an accessory, allegedly helping the suspects dispose of a gun after the shooting.

According to Orange County Sheriff’s Department records, Salorio and Ortega are no longer in custody. Salorio is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 17 for a pretrial hearing. Ortega, Dispensa and Blount are scheduled to be arraigned the same day.

Carver said Friday that detectives don’t expect to make any more arrests.

Maciel’s stepfather, Martin Rodriguez, said he is not surprised that a fifth person was arrested in connection with the death of his stepson.

“I was waiting for another guy to be arrested,” Rodriguez said Friday. “I knew there was a white guy involved.”

Novoa is white, Sgt. Mike Ginther said.

Rodriguez said he wants to thank police detectives for working so hard on the case. “May God bless them and their families,” Rodriguez said.

He said some have asked him if he wants revenge against those who killed his son. “I don’t want revenge,” he said. “That’s God’s job.”

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information can call Costa Mesa Police Det. Dana Potts at (714) 754-5363 or Det. Pat Wesel at (714) 754-5178.