Man Who Shot At Car With Children Inside During Parking Spot Dispute In OC Convicted

BUENA PARK, CA — A 57-year-old Chino Hills man was convicted Tuesday of shooting at a car with a man and two children in it over a dispute about a parking spot in Buena Park.

Wei Chen was convicted of attempted voluntary manslaughter, three counts of assault with a firearm and shooting at a car, all felonies. Jurors also found true sentencing enhancements for personal use of a gun.

Jurors rejected a felony count of attempted murder with a sentencing enhancement for attempted premeditated murder. Chen was scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6.

Chen and the victim, Josh Nelson, were waiting for a parking spot to open up at Porto's Bakery. 7640 Beach Blvd., about 6 p.m. Oct. 1, 2023, when Chen blocked the other driver from taking the spot, prosecutors said in a trial brief. Nelson had his two children, ages 2 and 3, in the backseat of his SUV, prosecutors said.

Chen took the spot, prompting the victim to honk at him before driving away, prosecutors said.

Chen walked to the victim's vehicle and opened fire, prosecutors said. The victim heard three to four shots, prosecutors said.

Nelson hit reverse to get away and witnesses saw the victim's SUV strike Chen, prosecutors said. Chen opened fire again as the victim drove away and then got up and chased after the vehicle still armed, prosecutors said. Chen then walked back to his own car and waited outside of it for several minutes before getting back in it.

No one was injured by the gunfire.

Chen's 9-year-old son was in the backseat of Chen's car, prosecutors said. The son told investigators he saw his father grab a gun from inside his car after the victim honked and shouted at him, prosecutors said.

The defendant's son saw his father get hit by the victim's vehicle and then saw Chen chase after the SUV, prosecutors said.

Chen told his son when he got back to his car that he did not kill anyone, prosecutors said.

Chen claimed he fired plastic rounds and only sought to frighten the victim and did so in self-defense, prosecutors said.

Defense attorneys said Nelson flipped Chen off after Chen took the parking spot.

The two were exchanging words as Chen approached Nelson's vehicle on foot, defense attorneys said. Nelson was speaking English and Chen was speaking Mandarin, his attorneys said.

Nelson told investigators he opened fire to warn Nelson about backing the vehicle into him, his attorneys said. He did not intend to hurt Nelson, his attorneys said.