Man injured in police shootout in Costa Mesa on New Year’s Eve charged with attempted murder
SANTA ANA — A 26-year-old San Diego man shot in the face by Costa Mesa police during a New Year’s Eve shootout with officers was charged Friday with attempted murder on a peace officer among multiple other felonies.
The attempted murder charge filed against Steven Taylor Fernandez includes a sentencing enhancement for premeditated murder, making him eligible for a 62-years-to-life sentence if convicted.
Fernandez was also charged with a separate count of attempted murder with a sentencing enhancement for attempted premeditated murder, and single counts each of discharge of a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, criminal threats and grossly negligent discharge of a gun, as well as four counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, all felonies. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of drawing, exhibiting or using a firearm or deadly weapon capable of being concealed.
He also faces sentencing enhancements for discharge of a firearm, personal use of a firearm, personal use of a firearm during the commission of a serious felony.
His arraignment on Friday was rescheduled for Jan. 10 in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
Officers were called about a possibly suicidal man armed with a gun near Orange Avenue and Palmer Street just before 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to Costa Mesa police Lt. Ed Everett.
An officer in the area spotted him about 4 p.m., but Fernandez ran away, firing several shots at the officer, who was not injured, Everett said.
The suspect fled through a home, threatening a woman smoking in the backyard before he hurtled a fence and dashed into a next-door garage in the 200 block of Knox Place, according to Everett. Fernandez was accused of shooting at that resident, who escaped injury.
He remained in the garage for about two hours as SWAT officers attempted to negotiate with him, then brandished a gun, prompting the officer-involved shooting about 6:35 p.m., Everett said.
Fernandez was rushed to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana, he said.
Police recovered two guns from him, Everett said.