Innocent Bystander Killed In Norwalk Deputy-Involved Shooting Identified; Suspect Arrested After Standoff
NORWALK (CBSLA) — A carjacking suspect who was shot and wounded by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies Thursday night was finally arrested early Friday morning after breaking into a Norwalk home, prompting a six-hour standoff. A second man was also found beaten to death in the same neighborhood.
The situation unfolded at around 7 p.m. in the 12000 block of Foster Road when deputies located a suspect who was wanted for a recent attempted carjacking and an assault with a deadly weapon.
When they tried to take him into custody, he produced a handgun, prompting deputies to open fire on him several times as he tried to flee, the sheriff's department said.
He then broke into a home. Several residents who were inside at the time were able to get out safely. A SWAT team was called in, nearby homes were evacuated and a standoff ensued.
Meanwhile, during the standoff, deputies located a 67-year-old man lying in the yard of the home. He was pronounced dead from trauma to his upper torso. He was not identified. Authorities later disclosed that the man, an innocent bystander, died from a gunshot wound. It was not immediately clear which party fired the shot that killed him.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office identified the innocent bystander as Pedro Lopez, 67.
LA Sheriff's deputies issued a statement Friday evening on the death of the innocent bystander, which read in part: ""During the initial investigation, it was determined the deceased victim was struck by gunfire in the upper torso area. Detectives collected evidence at the scene and are awaiting ballistic testing to determine the source of the fired bullet that struck the victim who was determined to be an uninvolved bystander."
At about 1:30 a.m. Friday, deputies forced their way into the home, where they found that the suspect had suffered several gunshot wounds to the upper torso. He was apprehended and taken to a hospital, where he was last reported to be stable, the sheriff's department said.
His name was not immediately released.
No deputies were wounded in the incident. There was no word on whether the suspect opened fire on deputies, or whether he is suspected in the death of the man whose body was found in the yard.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Friday that the state Department of Justice will independently review the shooting death, pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506, which require the AG to investigate law enforcement shootings that result in the death of unarmed civilians.