Long Beach gunman slain in Santa Ana shootout
By David Haldane and Stuart Silverstein, Times Staff Writers
2:05 PM PST, December 28, 2006
A man killed in a shopping plaza shootout with Santa Ana police late Wednesday afternoon was the suspect wanted in last week's critical wounding of two Long Beach officers, authorities said today.
The man was identified as Oscar Gabriel Gallegos, 33, who has a history of arrests for firearms violations, felony drug possession, assault and public intoxication, officials said at an afternoon news conference held by Long Beach police officials and Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley.
Gallegos was the only suspect in connection with the Friday afternoon shooting of Officers Abe Yap, 35, a nine-year veteran of the department, and Roy Wade Jr., 39, who had graduated from the police academy three weeks before the attack. The two officers remain hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
Gallegos was spotted by Long Beach police Wednesday riding in a silver Toyota Camry. They tracked the car going into Santa Ana about 5 p.m. and called Santa Ana police, Sgt. Lorenzo Carrillo, spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department, said Wednesday.
Santa Ana police followed the car into the parking lot of a strip mall in the 200 block of East Warner Avenue, Carrillo said. The suspect got out of the car and immediately began shooting at the three officers, the sergeant said. The officers, he added, returned fire and struck the suspect, who collapsed to the pavement and later was pronounced dead at the scene.