Kayla Fernandez, a 5-year-old Latino girl, died at 11:33 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center.

Her death is being investigated as a homicide, although officials have not determined the cause of death, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Information provided by the coroner's office shows that Kayla possibly suffered from head trauma and fractures in 2003 in Northern California, where she is from, but the district attorney's office there refused to file charges because of conflicting information provided by the local hospital.

Kayla, who was born prematurely, underwent two heart surgeries in her young life. She was last living at a specialty healthcare facility in Sun Valley before being taken to the hospital.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Christoper Don Woods, a 23-year-old black man, died of a gunshot wound to his back in the 900 block of East Pacific Street  at 9:55 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.

No further details were available from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

—Amanda Covarrubias

William Stanford Workman III, a 24-year-old black man, died after being shot in the back at Elm Street and Poinsettia Avenue at 10:21 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30.

No further details were available from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Veronica Reyes, a 30-year-old Latino woman, was fatally shot as she parked her car in the 900 block of East 223rd Street at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8.

Police are looking for her estranged husband, who has been identified as the suspect in what is being investigated as a domestic homicide.

—Andrew Blankstein

Oscar Torres, a 38-year-old Latino man, died in a shooting in the 2200 block of Mardel Avenue at 6:50 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.

Authorities were asking for the public’s help in finding the gunman, who also critically wounded another man, said Deputy Oscar Butao of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The victims were involved in argument with a man who produced a gun and shot them both several times, Butao said. Torres was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other man was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The suspect fled in a dark-colored vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Kevin Dion Baldwin, a 33-year-old black man, was fatally shot while standing with four friends in the driveway of a residence in the 7500 block of South Figueroa Street about 10:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6.

Police said an unknown black male approached the group on foot, pulled out a handgun and fired repeatedly. Baldwin was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. A second victim was also hit multiple times and was expected to survive. A third sustained a gunshot wound to his foot and was treated at the scene.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call homcide detectives at the LAPD's South Bureau at (213) 485-1383, or, if after hours or weekends, (877) LAWFULL.

—Andrew Blankstein

Kevin Harding, a 23-year-old black man, was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting while standing outside a 99-Cent Store in the 4200 block of Montclair Streeet at 10:25 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 2.

Harding was shot multiple times by an unknown gunman in a white, mid-sized car. After he was wounded, he ran back inside the store, fell to the ground and died.

Anyone with information is asked to calll homicide detectives at the LAPD's South Bureau at (213) 485-1383 or (877) LAWFULL.

—Andrew Blankstein

A motorcyclist was shot and killed as he was driving on the 2 Freeway at 3:20 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8.

Detectives were trying to determine whether the unidentified motorcyclist, who is believed to be in his 30s, was part of a biker gang.

UPDATE: The victim has been identified, but a suspect has not been arrested.

—Alexandra Zavis

Columbus Lanard Campbell, a 39-year-old black man, and Kavette Hashani Watson, a 16-year-old black girl, died in a shooting in the 3400 block of West 63rd Street at 12:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6.

They were shot as they sat in a car, police said. Campbell was pronounced dead at the scene after being shot multiple times. His friend, Kavette, also was shot multiple times, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Los Angeles police said the crime appeared to be gang-related, but they had no specific motive. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at the LAPD's 77th Street Division at (213) 485-1383.

—Andrew Blankstein

Robert Callender, a 63-year-old white man, and his wife, Barbara Callender, a 62-year-old white woman, from Simi Valley were found dead near their car about 600 feet down a ravine off Malibu Canyon Road on Sept. 7, 2007, about a month after they went missing.

Authorities initially believed the couple had died in a traffic accident. But on Friday, Oct. 3, detectives said that evidence found in the couple's SUV led them to treat the deaths as homicides.

"We have physical evidence that shows it was homicide," said Lt. Liam Gallagher of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He declined to say what kind of evidence was found or how the couple was killed.

The Callenders had lived in Simi Valley for more than 30 years. Robert Callender owned an information technology support company in Burbank.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Michiael Jefferson Jr., a 20-year-old black man, was killed in a shooting believed by police to be gang-related. It occurred in the 9600 block of Avalon Boulevard about 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5.

Jefferson was standing on the street when he was shot in the chest and lower back by a male on foot, said Sgt. Jon Tippet of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Southeast Division.

Jefferson was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police said the gunman, a suspected gang member, fled.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Police say an unemployed financial advisor apparently shot and killed his wife, three sons and mother-in-law before turning the gun on himself. 

Security guard Noe Campos Gonzalez, 25, a Latino man from Los Angeles, died after he was shot while working at a medical marijuana clinic in the 800 block of South La Brea Avenue about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Two men were arrested the next day in connection with the apparent robbery attempt at the La Brea Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary, said Officer April Harding of the Los Angeles Police Department. Leon Banks, 31, and Lovie Matthew, 30, were booked on suspicion of murder, and each was being held in lieu of $1-million bail, said Los Angeles Police Officer Kate Lopez.

Gonzalez was working when "several armed" men walked into the business "with the intent to rob the dispensary," Lopez said. A struggle started, and one of the men pulled out a handgun and shot Gonzalez multiple times. The men ran off, Lopez said. Gonzalez was taken to a hospital, where he died at 4:20 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

Police were searching for a third person they said was involved in the shooting: a black man in his 20s with a slim build, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 160 pounds. Police say his hair was styled in corn rows, and he was wearing a white tank top, beige shorts and white sneakers. Anyone with information is requested to call police at (877) LAWFULL.

—Tami Abdollah

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies fatally shot an unidentified man after he allegedly attacked one of them with a metal pole in the 3200 block of Burton Avenue at 12:08 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Deputies involved in the shooting had been called to investigate reports of an assault with a deadly weapon after the man allegedly stabbed his girlfriend with a long knife or sword, then ran away, said  Sgt. Rich Pena of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Deputies set up a perimeter, using police dogs and helicopters to find the man inside an empty house, where he allegedly threatened them with the pole, Pena said. He injured one of the deputies, Pena said.

"They determined that the person was dangerous due to the crime he had already committed, and he attacked them with a metal weapon," Pena said. "Fearing for their safety, they took action."
Deputies fired at the man, who died at the scene. His girlfriend was taken to a hospital and was expected to survive. The injured deputy was treated at a hospital and released, Pena said.

—Molly Hennessy-Fiske

UPDATE: The man who died was identified by the Los Angeles County coroner's office as Joshua Stephenson, a 25-year-old black man. His time of death was listed at 12:32 a.m.

Adrian Betancor, a 17-year-old Latino, was killed in what police are calling a probable gang-related shooting in the 5700 block of Marmion Way about 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Few details about the shooting were immediately available, but Det. Larry Burcher of the Los Angeles Police Department's Northeast station homicide division said that Betancor died at a hospital and that a 19-year-old victim, Joey Chavez, was hospitalized and expected to survive.

No one has been arrested, but the motive for the shooting was believed to be gang-related, Burcher said. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at the LAPD's Northeast station at (213) 847-4261 or the 24-hour toll-free line (877) LAWFULL. Tips can also now be sent via text messaging to the number 274637. In the message, type "LAPD" and whatever the tip is. It will be encoded with an anonymous ID, Burcher said.

—Francisco Vara-Orta

Violeta Alonte Monleon-Berg, a 69-year-old female Asian Pacific Islander, was fatally stabbed in the apartment she shared with her husband in the Westlake district of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Police Department officers were called to the 300 block of South Commonwealth Avenue about 7 a.m. Sunday to investigate a reported stabbing and saw Ronald Leroy Berg, 72, leaving the location.

Inside, they found Monleon-Berg lying on the floor; she had been beaten and stabbed several times. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

Police said the couple had been married for 20 years and Monleon-Berg had told her husband that she was going to leave him. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has charged her husband with murder.

—Andrew Blankstein

Vahe Soghayan, a 37-year-old white man, was shot to death in the 7200 block of Bellaire Avenue, an industrial area of North Hollywood, about 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.

When officers from the Los Angeles Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered evidence of a shootout and learned that a victim, identified as Soghayan, had been taken by a civilian to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators said Soghayan, a Sherman Oaks resident, had become involved in a dispute with another man, who was booked on suspicion of murder but released after prosecutors said more investigation was needed.

Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD's North Hollywood Division at (818) 623-4075.

—Andrew Blankstein

Adam Pacheco, a 31-year-old Latino man, was standing outside a club in the 1400 block of Abbot Kinney Boulevard when a man walked up and fatally shot him with a handgun at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28.

The shooting, which also left a 25-year-old woman wounded, took place near the intersection of Abbot Kinney Boulevard and San Juan Avenue as the Abbot Kinney Street Festival was winding down.

The woman was treated for her injuries and released. Authorities believe the two were shot after a dispute among attendees at the street fair. Pacheco was pronounced dead at a hospital after being shot several times.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives said they are looking for a suspect described as a Latino man in his late teens, about 5 feet 9, medium build, with shoulder-length dark hair and dark clothing.

Anyone with information is asked to call Pacific Division detectives at (310) 482-6343.

—Andrew Blankstein

Update:

Pacheco's killing is being characterized by the LAPD as a "gang-retaliation shooting," in which he was targeted by a rival on a busy night on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. In response to a crush of online comments about the shooting, LAPD officials held a news conference Tuesday, Sept. 30, to dispel rumors surrounding the incident.

Pacheco, described by detectives as a local gang member, was standing outside the Other Room bar about 9:30 p.m. when a 17- or 18-year-old male Latino walked up to him and opened fire with a medium-caliber handgun, said Lt. John Romero.

The gunman, described as a male Latino of medium build and about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, was seen running east on San Juan Avenue, where he possibly got into a white sport utility vehicle. Pacheco was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he died about an hour after the shooting.

At least one of the gunshots missed Pacheco and hit a black female bystander in the face. The woman was treated at a hospital and released. Detectives believe she had nothing to do with the shooter or Pacheco.

—Richard Winton

The body of an 18-year-old Latino man with multiple gunshot wounds was found in the frontyard of a home in the 17000 block of Sunburst Street at 1:44 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.

Two people driving in the area found the victim, Roel Mejia of Reseda, lying on the ground, said Officer Marjan Mobasser of the Los Angeles Police Department.

"They got out to see if he was OK and saw that he had blood all over," Mobasser said.

Paramedics pronounced Mejia dead at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD's Devonshire Division station at (818) 832-0633.

—Esmeralda Bermudez

An unidentified Latino man was found dead of a single gunshot wound to his chest in the 3200 block of Gilman Road about 9:20 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28.

Sheriff's deputies were patrolling a large concert at the Gilman Horse Ranch when they heard gunshots and began searching the area, said Deputy Byron Ward of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. They found the man, who was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

No further details were available, and anyone with information is asked to call sheriff's homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500.

—Francisco Vara-Orta

A 45-year-old black man was walking down the street when an occupant in a blue compact car fired multiple shots at him in the area of Denver Avenue at 59th Street at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 21.

The car then sped off down 59th Street, traveling east. The victim, whose name was not immediately released, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital, where he received emergency medical treatment. He was admitted to the hospital and died there one week later, on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Anyone with information is asked to call South Bureau Homicide Det. C. Braudrick or Officer R. Garza at (213) 485-1383. After hours or weekends call (877) LAWFULL.

Braylon Williams, a 22-year-old black man, was fatally shot in an alley in the Mar Vista Gardens housing project in the 4800 block of Marionwood Drive about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives said he was in the alley behind the complex when he was approached from behind by a gunman. The assailant fired a pistol, hitting Williams several times.

Police said the motive for the crime appears related to gang activity. The suspect was described as a Latino man, 18 to 20 years old, of medium height and build, wearing a black sweatshirt. He was last seen running along a flood control fence.

Anyone with information about the crime or the suspect is asked to call Pacific Division homicide detectives at (310) 482-6813.

—Andrew Blankstein

Update:

LAPD officials appealing for the public's help in solving this killing said they believe it is a gang-retaliation shooting. Lt John Romero said Williams was a gang member from outside the Mar Vista Gardens area visiting his girlfriend when he was shot multiple times with a 9-mm pistol. The assailant was described as a 16- to 18-year-old male Latino, about 5-feet-5 and weighing 150 pounds.

—Richard Winton   

An unidentified 19-year-old woman from Palmdale was killed when she was struck by a car while walking in a crosswalk at Devonshire Street and Lindley Avenue in Northridge about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Los Angeles police later arrested a 42-year-old Northridge woman on suspicion of manslaughter and driving under the influence.

—Molly Hennessy-Fiske

Two unidentified black men, ages 20 and 24, were killed when a gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon at the Metro Blue Line station in the 200 block of Willowbrook Avenue at 6:36 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators said no one has been arrested.

—Molly Hennessy-Fiske

UPDATE: The two men who were killed were identified Friday, Sept. 26, by the Los Angeles County coroner's office as Terry Dozier, 24, of Los Angeles, and Debruce Smith, 20, of Compton. They died at the scene of the shooting.

A 15-year-old Latino boy, Michael Cardenas, was shot to death Tuesday night at Veterans Park in Bell Gardens.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators said they have no motive or suspect.

—Molly Hennessy-Fiske

An unidentified 30-year-old Latino man was found stabbed to death near La Puente Road and Nogales Street at 10:19 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators said they have no motive or suspect.

—Molly Hennessy-Fiske

Khary Kidd, 32, of Willowbrook, a black man, was shot several times Friday, Sept. 12, near San Pedro Street and Century Boulevard in South Los Angeles.

Kidd was walking with friends near the intersection when they were shot at by an unidentified gunman. Kidd and the others were hit and taken to a hospital. Kidd died four days later.

—Andrew Blankstein

Steven Bertrand, a 38-year-old black man, was found shot to death in the 1000 block of South 110th Street in unincorporated Lennox on Friday, Sept. 21.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators said Bertrand was in a carport when he was killed.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500.

—Andrew Blankstein

A 14-month-old black boy was found dead in a trash bin in downtown Long Beach by someone  looking for cans and bottles to recycle. Nathan Coleman's battered body was found near Third Street and Linden Avenue shortly after 4 p.m. Sept. 19.

Shortly before the toddler's body was discovered, a woman reported a child had been kidnapped. The boyfriend of the child's mother was arrested about 20 minutes after the discovery of the tiny, lifeless body.

Anthony Jerome Hall Jr., a 22-year-old black man, was charged Tuesday, Sept. 23, with the boy's murder, as well as one count each of assault on a child causing death and child abuse.

The boy may have died in downtown Los Angeles and then been taken to Long Beach, authorities said.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Dets. Mark McGuire or Hugo Cortes of the Long Beach Police Department at (562) 570-7244.

—Richard Winton

Salvador Murillo, a 24-year-old Latino man, was gunned down by two males on bicycles in the 1200 block of East Doidge Court shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Police found Murillo with gunshot wounds to his body, and he later was pronounced dead at a hospital. The motive for the shooting is under investigation, but detectives believe it is gang-related.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has any information about it is asked to call Dets. Mark McGuire or Hugo Cortes of the Long Beach Police Department at (562) 570-7244.

—Richard Winton

Edward Ochoa, a 38-year-old Latino man, died after being repeatedly shot  in an alley in the 800 block of North Herbert Avenue at 10:54 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators said Ochoa was inside his girlfriend's home when another man arrived and called out his name. The victim told his girlfriend he knew the man and walked outside to meet him.

Moments later, five gunshots were fired. Ochoa's girlfriend ran outside, where she saw her boyfriend on the sidewalk bleeding from gunshot wounds to his upper body. Ochoa was pronounced dead 15 minutes after authorities arrived.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call homicide investigators at (323) 890-5500.

—Andrew Blankstein

A 25-year-old Latina, Ana Funez, died of multiple stab wounds to her abdomen and possible strangulation in the 5000 block of Hayter Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 13, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

No other details were available.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Anthony Hawkins, a 46-year-old black man, was beaten to death in the 29300 block of The Old Road on Wednesday, Sept. 10, Feb. 4, 2006, and died Wednesday, Sept. 10, authorities said.

--Amanda Covarrubias

UPDATE: Hawkins was assaulted and stabbed in a racially motivated inmate disturbance at the Peter Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic in 2006 and was hospitalized. He remained in the hospital over the past two years until he died Sept. 10 from the serious injuries he suffered in the attack, said Sgt. Darren Harris, of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Santa Clarita station. Homicide detectives are investigating the death to determine what charges might be filed against Hawkins' assailants, Harris said.

Jaime Alvarado, an 18-year-old Latino man, died after he was shot twice in the chest in the 1200 block of Geddes Street in the unincorporated Westmont section of Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 14.

This information was supplied by the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. No word yet from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department about what happened or how its investigation is going.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Alfredo Enriquez, 20, a Latino man, was shot to death outside a party at an apartment near Catalina Street and James M. Wood Boulevard in the heart of Koreatown about 4 a.m. Sunday, Sept 21.

Homicide detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire Division said police were called to the intersection, where they found Enriquez dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Witnesses told investigators that Enriquez exchanged words with several people, which led to a fight and gunfire.

Investigators believe the shooting is tied to gangs, although they have no suspects in custody and no motive. Anyone with information is asked to call (213) 473-0446 or leave an anonymous tip at (877) LAW-FULL.

—Andrew Blankstein

CORRECTION: The Los Angeles County coroner's office has identified the victim as Jose Enriquez Mendez, 28. He also went by the name Jose Alfredo Enriquez, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Bryan Richard Frost, 23, a USC film student, died of stab wounds suffered in a fight near 28th Street and Orchard Avenue about 2:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18.

The Idaho native was walking with two other students when the struggle occurred.

UPDATE: Travion Terrett Ford, 24, was arrested on suspicion of murder for the attack that police said was not gang-related. Police also said that they had recovered a knife they believe was used to kill the student and that they were questioning a female companion of the suspect.

—Jia-Rui Chong

A 49-year-old black man was found dead in the trunk of his burning car in the 19200 block of Laurel Park Road on Thursday, Sept. 11.

Investigators know little about the victim, Antonio Greene, except that he was unemployed and from the Los Angeles area. His parents and siblings reported him missing on the day his body was discovered by firefighters, who were called to the car fire.

Homicide Det. Kevin Lowe of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Greene was a big man and probably didn't get into the trunk without a fight. Detectives have no suspects and no motive for the crime. Anyone with information is asked to call Lowe at (323) 890-5500.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Donald McTier Jr., a 29-year-old Latino man, died after he was shot in the head in the 900 block of West Beach Avenue on Friday, Sept. 12.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office had no more information, and the Inglewood Police Department did not return a phone call seeking details.

—Amanda Covarrubias

Los Angeles police are asking for the public's help in identifying a woman who died after being set on fire in the 1300 block of E. 15th Street about 7 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 11.

Firefighters discovered the severely burned body of the woman, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim is believed to be Asian or Latino and in her late teens to mid-20s. Police released a picture of a homemade tattoo on the back of the victim's neck, featuring the name "Carlos" surrounded by swirls. Investigators ask that anyone with information call the Newton area homicide division at (323) 846-6556.

--Andrew Blankstein

An unidentified black man was shot to death in a carport in the 1000 block of 110th Street at 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and police have no suspects, said Deputy Ed Hernandez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Authorities said the fatal shooting is the latest incident in what  has turned out to be a violent and deadly summer for Athens, an unincorporated district of Los Angeles County.

On Friday night, a 12-year-old girl and a 19-year-old former student were shot multiple times in a parking lot of the gym at Washington Preparatory High School in Athens after a football game, officials said. Both victims, who were not identified, survived. Four people were arrested in the shooting, which was believed to be gang-related, said Det. Steve Pratt of the Sheriff’s Department.

In August, three men, Jose Alfredo Farias, 24, his brother Victor Manuel Farias, 25, and Vidal Hernandez Rebolledo, 23, were fatally shot at Imperial Highway and Western Avenue in the Athens-Westmont area, according to the Sheriff’s Department. A few weeks later, Henry Watts, 28, was shot multiple times in the 1200 block of West 120th Street near Vermont Avenue, Sheriff’s Department officials said. He died the next day in a hospital.

In July, Kimberly Bonds, 19, was fatally shot in the 13000 block of S. San Pedro Street in Athens Village. The same month, Adiel Quezada, 17, was found dead in a parking lot near an Athens market. He had been shot several times outside the store in the 13800 block of Avalon Boulevard,  authorities  said.

In June, Emitt Love Jr., 25, was found shot to death at a bus stop near Century Boulevard and Vermont Avenue in Athens. Anyone with information about any of the shootings is asked to call Sheriff's Department homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500.

—Francisco Vara-Orta

Guillermo Valencia, a 40-year-old Latino man, was found unconscious in an alley in the 4700 block of Whittier Boulevard about 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12.

He died in a hospital two days later of trauma to his head, said homicide Det. Tim Cain of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Cain said the area where Valencia was found is a busy shopping district. He has few leads on the case and is asking for the public's help in finding the assailant.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (323) 890-5500.

—Amanda Covarrubias 

A 26-year-old Latino woman was shot and killed in alley behind the 900 block of East 92nd Street about 7:40 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20.

Grace Connie Mattos had been shot once in the upper torso, said investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department. Paramedics attempted to treat her before she was taken to Saint Francis Hospital. She was pronounced dead about 20 minutes later. The suspects were still at large and little was known about them.

Anyone with information is asked to call the department's South Bureau homicide division at (213) 485-4341.

—Andrew Blankstein