A 25-year-old man has been ordered to spend 13 years in state prison for a gang-related drive-by shooting outside a Tustin apartment complex that left two men and a woman wounded in October 2022, a case that has finally wrapped up nearly four years later.
Shooting Outside the Trinidad Apartments
Testimony at a preliminary hearing described a harrowing scene on Oct. 24, 2022, in front of the Trinidad Apartments at 15501 Pasadena Ave., near the Costa Mesa (55) and Santa Ana (5) freeways. Witnesses said the shooter initially left the area, then circled back and opened fire into a crowd gathered outside the complex. Two men and a woman were hit and later treated for their injuries, according to MyNewsLA.com.
Plea and Charges
Prosecutors say Joseph Anthony Guevara, 25, pleaded guilty on May 29, 2026, to two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, one count of a drive-by shooting and multiple weapons counts, all felonies. He also admitted sentencing enhancements for gang activity, the personal use of a gun and attempted premeditated murder.
Guevara had already logged significant time in custody by the time he entered the plea. In reporting on the case, MyNewsLA.com noted that “Guevara had credit for 1,567 days behind bars.”
What the Sentence Means
The judge imposed a 13-year prison term and will apply Guevara’s time served against that sentence, cutting down the remaining years he will spend in custody. Because he admitted the gang and firearm enhancements, those findings were locked into the plea agreement and factored into the total term. Details about any post-release supervision were not included in available reports.
Next Steps
The case was handled in Orange County courts, and future filings or appeals could still affect the sentence. As of the July 17 report, however, Guevara was headed to state prison. Local authorities have not released additional information that would identify the victims, and MyNewsLA.com remains the primary public source for details on the plea and sentencing.
