Man Who Gunned Down Teen Girlfriend Faces Murder Charge In OC, Police Say

GARDEN GROVE, CA — An 18-year-old man was charged with murder after he reportedly gunned down his teenage girlfriend in Garden Grove.

Ethan Anthony Vidal was charged Wednesday with murder, along with a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a gun causing death, according to the Garden Grove Police Department.

He appeared in court Wednesday in Santa Ana, but his arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 27 in Westminster, according to court records.

Vidal is accused of fatally shooting his 17-year-old live-in girlfriend, Janely Gutierrez, late Sunday night.

According to Garden Grove police, officers responded around 11:30 p.m. Sunday to the 8800 block of Hewitt Place on a report of a female "bleeding from the head." Officers found the victim, who was taken to a hospital in grave condition, but she died on Monday, police said.

It was unclear what led to the shooting, with police saying only that Vidal and Gutierrez "were involved in an altercation."

Police said Vidal "voluntarily spoke with officers" and he was subsequently arrested.

"To protect the integrity of the investigation, no additional information will be released at this time," according to a Wednesday night statement from the Garden Grove Police Department. "We ask for your patience as we try to determine the facts of the case, provide assistance to surviving family members and additional information will be released at a later time, if appropriate."