SANTA CLARITA : Police Investigating False Drive-By Story

Three Santa Clarita teen-agers, who fabricated a story about a drive-by shooting Monday to cover up the accidental shooting of one of the teen-agers, are under investigation for filing a false complaint and possession of a loaded weapon, authorities said.

Deborah Reynolds, 19, of Canyon Country was shot in the left shoulder when a pistol accidentally discharged as another teen-ager handled it in the back seat of her car, said Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Lichten.

Reynolds was in good condition at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Newhall, a hospital spokeswoman said. The bullet went through her shoulder and did not damage any vital organs, the spokeswoman said.

Reynolds was driving with her brother when a friend of her brother’s, who was in the back seat, found the gun, Lichten said. After the shooting, Reynolds parked in a lot on Seco Canyon Road near San Francisquito Canyon Road and telephoned for help, he said. The names of the two other teen-agers were withheld because they are minors.

“Everyone said it was a drive-by to avoid getting in trouble,” Lichten said.

In response to the call, the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Department sent deputies and a police helicopter to the area in search of suspects in the purported drive-by shooting, he said.

“We expended a huge amount of manpower because of a lie,” Lichten said.

He said it will be up to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office to decide whether to prosecute the teen-agers. Filing a false police complaint and possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle are misdemeanors, Lichten said.