Angel Diaz, a 21-year-old Los Angeles resident, has been convicted of assault with a semi-automatic firearm following a January 2023 shooting in Santa Monica that left one victim with a gunshot wound to the face. As reported by the Santa Monica Police Department, the altercation that occurred in Palisades Park is believed to be gang-related.
The incident prompted an extensive investigation by SMPD officers, who discovered Diaz had discarded evidence at the scene, including a DNA connection to the crime, and he was also seen on CCTV footage escaping the area on foot, the detectives determined that on February 10, 2023, Diaz was arrested by LAPD for an attempt at murder with a handgun, and ballistic evidence later linked the handgun from the LAPD case to the SMPD shooting, as detailed by the City of Santa Monica.
Diaz entered a guilty plea to the charge on July 9 and received a nine-year sentence, which will run concurrently with his punishment for the LAPD case, as per the City of Santa Monica.
