SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Placentia criminal street gang member who was arrested in central California was brought back to Orange County to be arraigned on charges for the attempted murder of a gang rival. The Orange County District Attorney's Office (OCDA) is seeking to enjoin Erick Adonis Ferman, 19, Placentia, and Matthew Luis Zavala, 20, Fullerton, in a gang injunction. Ferman and Zavala are each charged with one felony count of attempted murder, and one felony count of street terrorism with a sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity. Zavala also faces sentencing enhancement allegations for two prior strike convictions for vandalism with damage of $400 or more with a sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity in 2014, both in Orange County. Zavala is currently being held on $500,000 bail. If convicted, Zavala faces a maximum sentence of 51 years to life in state prison. If convicted, Ferman faces a maximum sentence of 19 years in state prison. Ferman was apprehended on an arrest warrant by officers from the Fullerton Police Deparment (FPD) and members of the U.S. Marshals Service in central California on Dec. 27, 2015, and is scheduled to be arraigned today, Dec. 29, 2015, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. The time is to be determined.

Three additional co-defendants have been charged in this case, Cynthia Barron-Juarez, 20, Garden Grove, Lexus Marie Cobos, 19, Anaheim, and Vincent Matthew Duran, 19, Placentia, are each charged with one felony count of unlawful taking of a vehicle. Duran is also charged with one felony count of attempted murder, and one felony count of street terrorism with sentencing enhancement allegations for criminal street gang activity and inflicting great bodily injury. Barron-Juarez is also charged with one felony count of attempted murder and one felony count of street terrorism, with a sentencing enhancement allegation for criminal street gang activity. If convicted, Barron-Juarez faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and eight months in state prison, Cobos faces a maximum sentence of three years in state prison, and Duran faces a maximum sentence of 23 years and eight months in state prison. Zavala, Barron-Juarez, Cobos, and Duran are scheduled for a continued arraignment Jan 8, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.

On Sept. 21, 2015, the OCDA filed a lawsuit against two violent criminal street gangs in the city of Placentia. On Nov. 16, 2015, the Honorable Peter Wilson issued a preliminary injunction on both criminal street gangs.

On Sept. 30, 2015, Zavala and Ferman were personally served with a copy of the proposed injunction. In order to be named and served on the injunction, the party must be a documented and active member in an enjoined criminal street gang. To read more about the injunction, please visit the following link:

http://orangecountyda.org/civica/press/display.asp?layout=2&Entry=4552

At the time of the crime, Zavala, Ferman, Duran, and Barron-Juarez are accused of being members of the same criminal street gang.

On Dec. 6, 2015, at approximately 1:00 a.m., Zavala, Ferman, and Duran are accused of entering a convenience store in Fullerton. The defendants are accused of seeing the victim, a member of a rival street gang, inside the business. Zavala, Ferman and Duran are accused of starting a verbal argument with the victim. The defendants are accused of exiting the store and assaulting the victim for the benefit of their criminal street gang. Zavala, Ferman, and Duran are accused of stabbing the victim and hitting the victim repeatedly in the face. Zavala and Duran are accused of fleeing the scene in a stolen vehicle that was stolen inside the gang injunction safety zone in Placentia.

FPD investigated this case and arrested the defendants on Dec. 6, 2015.

In the OCDA's gang injunction lawsuit, evidence has been presented to the Court that criminal street gang members are committing violent crimes and being an active public nuisance in the safety zones in Placentia.

Deputy District Attorneys Lisa Grossman and Sayge Castillo of the Gang Unit are litigating the civil gang injunction case, and Senior Deputy District Attorney Elisabeth Hatcher of the Gang Unit is prosecuting this case.

* OCDA is seeking to enjoin defendant and another in gang injunction. Three other gang associates are also charged in this case.

Orange County District Attorney / Case # 15NF3255 / December 29, 2015