Robert Jones, 27

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Robert Jones, 27, a black man, was shot in the neck and killed in the parking lot of the CVS Pharmacy at Crenshaw Boulevard and Coliseum in LAPD’s Southwest Division at about 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 18.

A large group of people had gathered in the parking lot, hanging out at this popular cruising locale, said Det. Frank Alvelais of LAPD South Bureau homicide. Two groups of women began fighting, possibly over male attention, said detectives. Jones tried to intervene and break up the fight. Friends of the women set upon him in retaliation, beat him, then shot him and tried to escape in a black Hummer.

Quick work by LAPD patrol officers made sure they didn’t succeed. Two officers patrolling nearby heard the shots, and broadcast a reasonably detailed bulletin about the suspects on police radio right away. That allowed LAPD 77th Street Division Officers Jeff Wolman, Steve Sainz, Dave Ross and Michael Hernandez to spot the fleeing Hummer and pull it over. They arrested two black men and a black young woman under 18. Guns were also seized. The suspects are in custody. Extra patrols had been assigned to Crenshaw that night because of the cruising problem.

Jones was a working man with no criminal history, detectives said.