Girl, 16, Killed, Driver Hurt in Shooting

A 16-year-old East Los Angeles girl was killed and a 19-year-old Cudahy man was wounded when their car was riddled with bullets from a passing van as they drove home from a birthday party early Saturday, authorities said.

Homicide investigators, calling the incident a “senseless murder,” Saturday issued a public appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the shooting. They described the van as a dark-colored, late ‘60s or early ‘70s model.

“All four of them were just nice kids with no gang affiliation of any kind,” Sheriff’s Deputy Carl Deeley said. “They were just driving home to Lynwood after a birthday party.”

Rachel Vasquez, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car, was shot three or four times, and Cameron McNeil, the driver of the gray 1966 Chevy Impala, was hit once in the right side as they headed south on the Long Beach Freeway near Gage Street in Bell, according to Deeley.

Two passengers in the back seat--Julie Duran, 19, of East Los Angeles and Yolanda Varela, 20, of Lynwood--were not injured, Deeley said.

Although seriously wounded, McNeil managed to drive about half a mile to Nelson’s Coffee Shop on East Florence Avenue, authorities said. Leonard Nelson, manager of the restaurant, said one of the uninjured women ran into the shop shortly before 12:30 a.m. asking for help. Nelson said he called an ambulance and the Bell police, who arrived minutes later.

Both Vasquez and Cameron were taken to County-USC Medical Center, where Vasquez died at 4:15 a.m., Deeley said. Cameron was listed in stable condition Saturday.

Anyone with information should call detectives at (213) 974-4341.