Suspect facing felony murder charge in shooting death of Costa Mesa man outside Anaheim motel
A 23-year-old Hesperia man is in custody facing one felony count of murder in the Dec. 22 death of a Costa Mesa man outside a motel in Anaheim, according to police officials.
Gilbert Fred Falgo is suspected of shooting Mathew David Rawson, 23, of Costa Mesa outside a motel located on the 2000 block of East Via Burton Street. Anaheim police officers received a call at around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 regarding a possible shooting, according to department spokesman Sgt. Shane Carringer.
“The shooting did take place just behind the Motel 6 on Via Burton — it happened on the street,” Carringer said Tuesday.
Upon their arrival on scene, officers discovered Rawson, who appeared to have sustained at least one gunshot wound, police said. He was transported to a nearby hospital and ultimately died from his injuries.
The suspect was not located at the scene of the incident, but Carringer said Tuesday evidence and statements from witnesses pointed to Falgo and his Hesperia residence.
Homicide detectives with the Anaheim Police Department located Falgo in Hesperia the following day in a vehicle in the vicinity of his listed residence, police said. He was found in possession of a handgun and was arrested for Rawson’s death, according to Carringer.
The incident is still under investigation and, as of Tuesday, detectives had not provided details on whether the two men may have known each other previously or a possible motive for the shooting.
The civil lawsuit names Newport Beach resident Grace Elizabeth Coleman, the driver arrested in the Dec. 8 incident, and her parents, Newport Beach residents James and Kelli Coleman, as defendants.
A GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for Rawson’s memorial service has collected more than $11,000 in donations as of Tuesday. Organizers of the effort, who did not disclose their relationship to the victim, allege the Costa Mesa resident was “shot three times in the chest” while protecting the life of someone else.
Carringer clarified that multiple people on scene have been identified by police as witnesses to the event and that no additional suspects or victims are thought to have been directly involved in the shooting.
Falgo is currently being held at the Orange County men’s jail in lieu of a $1 million bail. He is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 13 for an arraignment hearing.
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