'We Don't Know Why Someone Would Just Target Him;' Mid-City Family Left Reeling After Husband, Father Shot While Walking Dog
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - A 52-year-old man was shot dead while walking his dog Saturday in the Mid-City community of Los Angeles, authorities said.
The man, identified as Marcos Sandoval, and his dog were walking a little after 5:30 a.m. near the corner of Genesee Avenue and Saturn Street, when a dark-colored sedan approached and stopped at the northwest corner of the intersection, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.
Sandoval lived just a few blocks from the scene, where surrounding neighbors described the area as a "no-crime" zone.
"We've never had anything like that," noted Shirley Dionzon, who has lived in the area since 1965.
Surveillance footage from one of the homes in the area shows a dark-colored four-door sedan slowly pulling up to the intersection before stopping. The driver exits the vehicle and began to interact with Sandoval, most of which happened out of the range of the camera.
One shot can be heard, before Sandoval's dog is seen running across the street and out of the picture before a second shot rings out. The suspect then got back into the sedan and drove the vehicle northbound on Genesee Avenue.
The victim was discovered nearly 30 minutes after the shooting at about 6:15 a.m. by a passerby, who called 911.
The dog, Little Torro, was not injured and returned home on its own, in what neighbors described as a frenzied sprint. He was the first one to let the family know that something was wrong.
"He started barking at my sister's window, the back door, and my sister went out to look for him," Sandoval's daughter told CBS reporters. "When she couldn't find him, that's when she called me."
A neighbor who was woken by the shots detailed the incident to CBS reporters, though they wished to remain off camera and unidentified.
"I woke up maybe like 5:30 (a.m.) and heard two man talking loudly, arguing," she said. "Then my dog and cat woke up and a few minutes - maybe 5 minutes - went by then I heard two gunshots. I didn't know they were gunshots at the time."
She noted that based on the tone of the conversation, she believed that the two knew each other in some fashion.
"It was emotional," she continued.
Sandoval's family arrived at the scene in the late afternoon, where they left flowers and candles at the site of the shooting. They told CBS reporters that they have no idea who would have done this to their father and husband, noting that he had no problems with anyone that they knew about.
"He had no enemies, he was a good person," said Sandoval's daughter. "We don't know why someone would just target him."
The memorial site continued to grow throughout the evening, as other loved ones and friends stopped by to pray and leave items like flowers and candles.
His daughter continued to note how her father was "hardworking; he would always put me and my sister first before anyone and it's just not fair that they just took him away from us like that."
Authorities continued to investigate the incident throughout Sunday.
"This is a very quiet neighborhood, no significant crime patterns. So, we really have no motive for this case at all," said LAPD Lieutenant John Radtke.
LAPD West Bureau homicide detectives urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to call them at 213-382-9470 or Crime Stoppers at 800- 222-8477.