Irvine man fatally shot during illegal marijuana deal in Garden Grove, 3 suspects from Arizona arrested

Police arrested three people from Arizona early Monday, August 5, in connection with the shooting death of an Irvine man in Garden Grove on Sunday. Investigators believe the shooting happened during an illegal marijuana deal.

Officers took Arizona residents Victor Rene Larios, 29, Jacob Alexander Ruiz, 24, and Joseph Anthony Ruiz, 27, into custody during a high-risk traffic stop in Los Angeles County at about 1:30 a.m., Garden Grove Police Department officials said in a statement. Authorities had identified them as suspects in the death of Thien Hoang Phan, 32.

Authorities believe the victim illegally sold marijuana to the suspects several times in the past, and had met with them for a similar exchange the night he was killed, Garden Grove Police Lt. Carl Whitney said.

Phan was found fatally shot at about 12:47 p.m. in the backyard of a residence on the 9600 block of Westminster Avenue.

Detectives tracked the suspects to a hotel in Venice Beach, and arrested them as they were leaving early Monday morning, police said. They were later booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of murder and other related charges.

The homicide on Sunday was the third fatal shooting this year in Garden Grove that directly involved the sale of drugs, police said. A courier working at a marijuana stash house at the 1200 block of Corvette Street fired upon and killed a man who attempted to rob him on April 29. Another man died after he was shot during a drug-related home invasion robbery on July 8, police said.