Was Calif. mayor's fatal shooting self-defense or revenge?

BELL GARDENS, Calif. - The son of slain Bell Gardens, Calif. Mayor Daniel Crespo says his mother shot his father in self-defense, but Crespo's brother believes the killing was the result of an argument over his brother's infidelities, reports CBS Los Angeles.

In a 911 call released Tuesday, the mayor's son, Daniel Crespo Jr., tells a police dispatcher that his father had hurt him, and was lying on the floor dying after his mother shot him.

He says it wasn't his mother's fault, adding, "She was defending herself."

Screaming, crying and sobs can be heard on the recording.

Authorities say the mayor punched his 19-year-old son in the face before he was shot several times by his wife, Lyvette Crespo, during an argument Sept. 30. The 45-year-old mayor was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Authorities questioned the wife but haven't made an arrest.

Eber Bayona, an attorney for Lyvette Crespo, said last week that his client was a victim of domestic violence for many years but he gave no details of how that might have played a role the shooting.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said there were no prior calls concerning domestic violence at the home.

William Crespo, the mayor's brother, said the allegations were a lie. He said he wants his sister-in-law to be charged with second-degree murder, adding that she knows how to use a gun.

Claudia Osuna, a lawyer for the Crespos' adult son and daughter, said her clients were standing by their mother. She stated that the son also was a victim of domestic violence.

CBS Los Angeles reports Daniel Crespo is alleged to have been cheating on his wife with two other women.

One of the women played a voicemail for the station, which she claims was left by Lyvette Crespo.

In the message, the woman identified as Lyvette is heard saying, "...And if you think you're gonna come and destroy my marriage, you got another thing coming."

Investigators reportedly believe the message is legitimate.

The alleged girlfriend also shared a text message with the station which she says came from Lyvette. The message reads, "...if I found out your [sic] borrowing money from my husband we're going to have a problem!!!!!"

Steve Meister, a former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney who currently serves as a legal analyst for CBS Los Angeles, told the station the messages could prove significant in the investigation into Daniel Crespo's death.

"It's very important evidence. It impacts the investigation significantly because, again, the question starts to become not just was she behaving reasonably the night she shot her husband, but whether she was telling the truth about behaving reasonably," Meister said.

A biography on the Bell Gardens website said the Crespos were high school sweethearts who married as teenagers in 1986.

Authorities believe the two were fighting when their son, Daniel, tried to intervene and got into a struggle with his father, sheriff's Deputy Crystal Hernandez said. His mother then got a gun and opened fire, Hernandez said.

Bell Gardens, a city of about 43,000, is one of a series of nondescript suburbs southeast of Los Angeles. The 2.5-square mile city is bordered by several other small towns. One is the city of Bell, which became synonymous with municipal corruption after several former officials were convicted of fleecing millions from taxpayers and padding their salaries.

Bell Gardens City Council members serve part-time and rotate the mayor's position among themselves.

Crespo, first elected to the council in 2001, was a Los Angeles County deputy probation officer.