On March 18, 2023, at about 10:50 a.m., 25-year-old Brian Chevez and 16-year-old Cameron Stokes were fatally shot near the pool area of The Village Apartments in Newhall, California. Witnesses said a man reached over the pool fence, fired multiple times, then fled toward the complex parking lot. Responding officers stopped a white Ford Mustang convertible nearby and detained two people inside: 18-year-old Anthony Martinez Ortiz of Sylmar and a juvenile whose identity has not been disclosed.

Martinez Ortiz was arrested on suspicion of murder and has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder; he is being held without bail and had a court hearing set for January 8, 2024. Investigators have indicated the shooting may be gang-related, with victims and suspects reported to be affiliated with rival groups. The incident added to a rising pattern of gang-related shootings in the Santa Clarita Valley and increased safety concerns among Newhall residents. Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators.