A 31-year-old convicted gang member was charged Tuesday with the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old girl in Costa Mesa.
Matthew Juarez of Anaheim is accused of killing Allison Castillo of Costa Mesa on Saturday afternoon.
Juarez was charged with murder with special circumstances of gang activity, and faces sentencing enhancements for gang activity and the personal use of a deadly weapon.
Police were called at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday to the 700 block of Shalimar Drive, a few blocks west of the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway, where they found the victim, who was rushed to a nearby hospital, according to the Costa Mesa Police Department. She was pronounced dead a couple hours later.
Police suspect the killing was gang-related.
Juarez has a lengthy criminal history on gang-related charges.
He pleaded guilty to felony burglary and misdemeanor resisting arrest in January 2012.
He pleaded guilty to a felony count of assault with a firearm and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest and admitted sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a gun and gang activity in October 2013.
He pleaded guilty in January 2022 to a felony count of possession of a gun by a felon and a misdemeanor count of destroying evidence for a gang. He also admitted a sentencing enhancement for gang activity.