Local News in Brief : Gang Link Suspected in Shootings That Hurt 3

Two people were injured in a shooting at a Mission Hills parking lot and another woman was shot several hours later in apparent retaliation for the earlier attack, police said Monday.

The motive in the first shooting was not known Monday, but police believe it was gang related.

It occurred at 10 p.m. Sunday in a shopping center parking lot at 11549 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Detective Bob Stemple said.

Patricia Lemus, 21, of San Fernando was critically wounded and was in the intensive care unit Monday night at Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills. Her companion, Ernest Acosta, 20, of San Diego was shot in the lower torso and was in satisfactory condition at the same hospital, a spokeswoman said.

Later, at 3:30 a.m. Monday, police responded to another shooting at an Arleta house. Eladia Montez, 48, was found in the house suffering from minor injuries. She was treated and released from Holy Cross Hospital, Stemple said.

Police would not disclose where Montez was when she was shot.

“Her shooting was in apparent retaliation of the first two shootings,” Stemple said.

Montez’s son, Carlos Montez, 23, was arrested at the Arleta house and accused of attempted murder in connection with the shootings of Lemus and Acosta, Stemple said. He was being held without bail at Foothill police station jail, pending arraignment.

Police did not have a suspect Monday in the Eladia Montez shooting.