Huntington Beach man with alleged Mexican Mafia ties is charged in Placentia shooting

A Huntington Beach man who authorities allege is a member of the Orange County Mexican Mafia is one of four people facing charges in a shooting that wounded a man in Placentia in 2017.

Frank Mosqueda, 39, who goes by the nickname “Demon/Pride,” faces one count of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, a count of conspiracy to commit murder, a count of street terrorism and a count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, all felonies, according to Orange County Superior Court records.

He also faces possible sentencing enhancements on allegations of criminal street gang activity and personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury, court records show.

Omar Mejia, 30, of Anaheim, Robert Martinez, 36, of Corona and Johnny Martinez, 42, also are charged in the Aug. 5 shooting, according to court records.

If convicted, they each could face a maximum sentence of 75 years to life in state prison, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Prosecutors allege that Mosqueda — under the direction of Johnny Martinez, who authorities allege is the leader of the Mexican Mafia in Orange County — wrote a communication known as a “kite” that authorized the killing of a rival street gang member from Placentia.

“The Mexican Mafia controls Orange County criminal street gangs by collecting taxes, ordering assaults to keep gang members in line and directing murders through jailhouse ‘kites’ against enemies of the Mexican Mafia and disobedient criminal street gang members,” according to a district attorney’s office statement Monday.

Prosecutors allege Johnny Martinez and Mejia organized the shooting from inside state prison. Mejia is accused of recruiting Robert Martinez and Mosqueda to carry it out.

According to prosecutors, Mosqueda and Robert Martinez drove to a home in Placentia where the shooting occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Gregory Munoz was shot seven times in the legs, back and arm by a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, authorities said.

Munoz was taken to a hospital and survived, prosecutors said.

Authorities allege Mosqueda also aimed the gun at the foreheads of two women at the scene. They were not injured.

Mosqueda was arrested Aug. 8 at his parole office in Irvine. He was booked into the Theo Lacy jail in Orange without bail, according to jail records.

He is expected in court for arraignment Aug. 24.

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