Father of 3 shot by mom's new boyfriend during custody exchange in Granada Hills, police say

GRANADA HILLS, Calif. (FOX 11) - A 37-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday morning with wounds he suffered in a shooting that took place during a custody exchange in Granada Hills, authorities said.

The victim was found about 7:50 p.m. Monday in the 16800 block of Chatsworth Street, between Reseda Boulevard and Wilbur Avenue, according to Officer Jeff Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section.

Related: Man rushed to hospital after being shot in Granada Hills neighborhood

The victim was at the location to pick up his three children from his ex-girlfriend when the two began arguing, police said. The victim spotted the woman's new boyfriend sitting in a car nearby and rammed the man's vehicle, at which time the boyfriend opened fire on the man.

Police arrested the boyfriend, identified by authorities as 29-year-old Ernesto Lopez, on suspicion of attempted murder.

LAPD Detective Steve Castro told FOX 11 that domestic violence cases are probably the most dangerous incidents that police respond to.

"There's a lot of emotions involved,'' Castro said. "In this case, apparently, the victim was having a hard time with the ex-girlfriend moving on and that causes a lot of emotional distress and irrational decisions.''

The victim's 7-year-old son attempted to help his wounded father, using his hands to try to stop the bleeding, witnesses at the scene told FOX 11.

The victim was taken to a hospital, Lee said. He was not expected to survive.

CNS contributed to this report.