Moss Landing Shooting: DA Declines To Charge Teen

Twenty-one shell casings scattered across a party scene near Moss Landing State Beach became the central evidence in a case that now ends without criminal charges for the suspect. District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on Monday that Donald Breeden will not face prosecution for his role in the Nov. 2 shooting.

The district attorney’s office determined there is insufficient evidence to prove Breeden did not fire in self-defense. Pacioni noted that California law places the burden on the prosecution to disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt before filing charges. The office stated that witnesses provided conflicting accounts of how the confrontation escalated and who initiated the gunfire.

Two Salinas teenagers, Marco Antonio Perez, 15, and Nathaniel Flores, 13, died at the party on Jetty Road. Prosecutors said Perez was shot seven times and Flores was shot five times. A young adult from the Greenfield group was shot twice and survived the incident. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office arrested Breeden on Friday following the review of the evidence.

Dozens of attendees, mostly teens and young adults, gathered at the party where a verbal dispute arose between groups from Salinas and Greenfield. The conflict stemmed from accusations of theft, vandalism, and threats. Some witnesses claimed the Salinas group fired first, while others insisted the Greenfield group started the shooting. Investigators recovered 21 shell casings from the scene, indicating at least two firearms were used, though no guns were recovered.

The shooting triggered a major law enforcement response that closed Jetty Road and the nearby state beach. The Salinas Union High School District confirmed the identities of the two victims, prompting an outpouring of grief from the school community. Forensic analysis of the collected evidence remains ongoing, and the investigation continues despite the decision not to file charges at this time.