Murder, Robbery Suspect Fatally Shot By Undercover LAPD Officers In Sherman Oaks
SHERMAN OAKS (CBSLA) – A murder and robbery suspect was shot and killed by undercover Los Angeles police in Sherman Oaks Wednesday morning.
The shooting occurred just before 10:30 a.m. in the area of Kester Avenue and Burbank Boulevard, right across from an apartment complex.
The suspect was not immediately identified, but in an LAPD news conference Wednesday afternoon, he was described as a black male who was a resident of the Van Nuys area.
Aerial footage showed him lying deceased on the sidewalk. No officers were wounded. A handgun possibly belonging to the suspect was recovered at the scene.
According to an LAPD spokesman, undercover officers had been conducting surveillance on the suspect since 6 a.m. At around 10:26 a.m. when they tried to arrest him, the shooting occurred.
Witnesses told CBS2 they heard five or six gunshots just prior to coming out and finding the victim.
"I heard a crash, and then I heard like five gunshots and I ran outside," said Jennifer Clark, who was inside a nail salon located at a shopping center down the street from the shooting scene.
The suspect was wanted in connection with a murder and robbery, officers confirmed in the press conference
The suspect was accused of robbing a nearby liquor store at the corner of Kester Avenue and Burbank Boulevard Tuesday night.
Security footage from the liquor store showed the suspect enter through the front door, walk behind the counter, and confront the store's owner, Taranjit Singh.
The suspect then walked away and a gun could be seen in his right hand.
"He took his gun out and pointed at me and goes, "'I'm going to shoot you,'" said Singh.
Singh said the suspect left with liquor and a few cigars. People in the neighborhood said they have seen the suspect before.
"There were gunshots. I was like 'What happened?'" said Singh about the shooting that day after the alleged robbery. "When I wet out there were a lot of cops and helicopters."
Police also believe the man was also the suspect in the murder of a maintenance worker on Monday in the 14600 block of Burbank Boulevard, just a few blocks from the liquor store.
The family of the maintenance worker killed identified him Wednesday evening as 52-year-old Antonio Centeno and said he was on his lunch break when he was killed.
There was also no word regarding how many officers opened fire or whether the suspect also shot at police.
Surrounding streets were shut down and residents were still not being allowed back into their homes as of 1 p.m. It was unclear if Kester Avenue Elementary School, located a few blocks away, was placed on lockdown during the incident.
Centeno's wife and daughter created a GoFundMe page in his honor.
