Police: Driver Found Dead Inside Vehicle In Lincoln Heights Not Employed By Uber
LINCOLN HEIGHTS (CBSLA.com) — A 35-year-old man was found shot to death Tuesday inside a vehicle marked with an Uber decal in Lincoln Heights.
Shortly after 2 a.m., officers heard shots fired in the area of Griffin Avenue and North Broadway, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Upon their arrival, authorities located the body of an adult Hispanic man sitting in the drivers seat of a bullet riddled, dark colored Toyota vehicle.
Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. His identity is being withheld pending family notification.
A short time later, a pursuit ensued after officers saw a silver Kia SUV speeding away from the area.
The chase lasted about 30 minutes. At one point, the driver of the SUV pulled over on Hacienda Boulevard under the 60 Freeway as the vehicle ran out of gas.
Two men and two women believed to be between the ages of 18 to 25-years-old were taken into custody in Hacienda Heights. Officers said the suspects are documented gang members.
No officers were hurt during the incident.
A preliminary investigation revealed the suspects are believed to have pulled next to the side of the victim's car and fired eight rounds at him before fleeing from the scene.
According to police, the victim was not employed by the rideshare company even though their logo was displayed in the windshield of the car.
Authorities said the decal could possibly be a decoy.
"There's obviously people that drive around with those stickers on their car," said Capt. Ed Pape. "They are used for multiple things like handing out drug transactions and things of that nature. That may or may not be the case here. We just don't know."
The investigation is ongoing as the motive for the shooting remains unclear.
