Los Angeles shooting spree: 2 alleged gang members arrested in 4 deaths; 3rd suspect sought
LOS ANGELES - Two alleged gang members were arrested and a possible third suspect is sought in connection with a string of deadly random shootings across Los Angeles County that happened within hours of each other.
"It appears this was a random murder spree, however, homicide investigators have not ruled anything out," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau Capt. Andrew Meyer said during a news conference Tuesday.
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The suspects, 42-year-old Gary Garcia and 20-year-old Wayne McNeely Timberland, were both arrested on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. Meyer said a third suspect may have also been involved in the attacks, possibly a teen.
The first shooting occurred outside the Martha Escutia Primary Center in Bell, Sunday, Feb. 11 around 10:30 p.m. Officers arrived and found 24-year-old Kevin Parada, a husband and father who lived nearby, dead from a gunshot wound. A second man was found at the scene but he was not injured.
Officials say Parada was shot dead when a passenger in a car pulled up and opened fire. He leaves behind a young son.
FOX 11 spoke with the man who said he survived that shooting. His name is Brian, and didn't want to give his last name for fear another shooter is still out there.
"I'm mixed in between emotions of feeling like I'm glad be alive, but still saddened," Brian said.
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According to Brian, he and his friend had been standing outside their apartment smoking cigarettes late Sunday night. That's when a dark red-colored SUV rolled up.
"They stopped right here, I thought they knew the person I was with," said Brian. "They said, ‘Where are you from?’ I see the pistol pull out, and they aimed at him. I was like, ‘he’s good.’ I heard a pop."
Briand said he saw Parada fall, "then [the shooter] aimed at me. I was like, ‘I’m good.' I flinched and they missed me. I heard a pop. It was two shots."
A second shooting happened just after midnight, around 12:04 a.m. It happened in the 1500 block of East Florence in the Florence-Firestone area in a shopping center parking lot. The victim - a man suffering from gunshot wounds - died at the scene.
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Officials announced that two people were in custody for fatal shootings that happened over the weekend in the cities of Bell, Cudahy, Huntington Park and Los Angeles. Deputies said they believe early in the investigation that the shootings were a "random murder spree."
About 12 minutes later, another shooting was reported outside Ellen Ochoa Learning Center in Cudahy. Two teenagers were shot--one died at the scene and the other was taken to the hospital and is listed in stable condition. The victim has since been identified by loved ones as 14-year-old Javier Pedraza Jr. According to authorities, he and his friend were talking when the shooter drove up and shot both of them.
Then around 1:55 a.m, an officer from the Huntington Park Police Department was driving in the 6300 block of Santa Fe Ave. when he saw a person lying on the curb. The officer checked on the man and observed that he had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim is believed to be a homeless man who lived in a nearby encampment.
Investigators soon learned that a Honda Pilot was seen on surveillance video at all four shooting locations. According to Meyer, all four shootings are connected but a motive is unknown.
Deputies in San Bernardino County spotted the suspect's vehicle and conducted a traffic stop where he was later taken into custody and booked for murder. Investigators were able to identify a second suspect who was arrested by a sheriff's Special Enforcement Bureau team in Compton.
Meyer said no weapon has been recovered. He said investigators believe the suspects are gang members, but there was no immediate word on a motive for the killings. He said the attacks just appeared to target "random people."
Garcia and Timberland are both held on $2 million bail and scheduled to appear in court later this week for arraignment. Meyer said that Garcia had an extensive criminal history, while Timberland had no criminal history.
The families of both Parada and Pedraza Jr. have set up fundraisers to raise money for funeral costs.
Since two of the shootings occurred near schools, law enforcement is increasing patrols in the area.
Anyone with information is asked to call the LA County Sheriff's Department.
City News Service contributed to this report.