A San Fernando Superior Court judge last week ordered a man to answer for four felony counts, including attempted murder, and special allegations for a Dec. 3 car-to-car shooting on State Route 14.
Angel Eduardo Ocampo, 18, of Canyon Country, is now due back in court June 11, when he’s scheduled to answer to his charges, which also include assault with a deadly weapon, shooting from a motor vehicle and shooting at another vehicle.
Ocampo’s codefendant, Manuel Marquez, 23, was ordered back for his arraignment on the same date, when he’s scheduled to enter a plea on separate charges: accessory after the fact and felon in possession of a firearm.
A motive for the shooting was not discussed by the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
California Highway Patrol officers suspect that Ocampo fired at another vehicle sometime before 3:45 a.m. in the southbound lanes of Highway 14, near the Agua Dulce Canyon Road exit, and later attempted to conceal the weapon by passing it to Marquez at a nearby gas station.
Another witness also ended up providing CHP officers with dashboard-camera footage of that stretch of freeway from about that time, which shows the victim and suspect’s vehicles, but not the shooting.
Ocampo was arrested within a day of the shooting after officers searched a car they linked to him, according to online custody records from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
In a search warrant affidavit, officers reported finding security footage from a nearby gas station that shows Marquez and Ocampo appearing to exchange a firearm shortly after the incident, per sworn statements.
Ocampo was taken into custody by officers with CHP’s Major Crimes Unit near his Isabella Parkway home two days after the incident was reported. Officers towed his car and said they found shell casings that matched the shooting inside.
Marquez, whose criminal record includes drug and weapon charges, was released on $75,000 bail. Ocampo has been held without bail since his December arrest due to the attempted murder charge.
