Man Questioned In Botched Carjacking That Killed Young Father
PARAMOUNT (CBSLA) — Police have a man in custody they say is a person of interest in a wild crime spree that includes a deadly carjacking in Paramount.
The fatal shooting happened at about 1:40 p.m. Sunday in the 8600 block of Somerset Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Aura Sierra said.
The victim, described only as a black man, died at the scene. Authorities withheld his name pending notification of his family.
Friends at the scene, however, identified him as "McVell," a 24-year-old nurse and father.
Friends bring candles, ID carjacking victim as 'McVell' a 24-year-old nurse & father gunned down at his #Paramount apt bldg @CBSLA pic.twitter.com/Vww41ZIF4M
— JASMINE VIEL (@jasmineviel) November 6, 2017
The suspected gunman had been driving a red Lexus and is believed to have been involved in a road rage incident near the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach prior to the fatal shooting, Sierra said.
The gunman had fired several rounds into the air during that incident, but the victim in the road rage incident was not hit, Sierra said.
From that scene, the gunman drove to the apartment building on Somerset Boulevard, where the fatal carjacking happened. He drove away again in the Lexus, then carjacked a red Ford Mustang at gunpoint near the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Alondra Boulevard, Sierra said. The victims who were in the Mustang were not hurt.
The gunman drove away from the scene in the Mustang, then crashed into a Cadillac near the intersection of Greenleaf Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard in Compton, Sierra said. The Cadillac driver suffered minor injuries.
When deputies arrived at the Compton scene, they determined the gunman had been picked up by someone in a black Kia, Sierra said. A search of the area turned up the Kia, parked in front of a home in the 1300 block of Sloan Avenue in Compton.
Several people were taken into custody, but were later released after detectives determined they were not involved in the crime spree.
A man was detained for questioning at another location, however, and he is considered a person of interest in the killing, pending further investigation, authorities said.
Anyone with information on the case can call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.