Transient’s Death Now Laid to Unpaid Drug Debt

Los Angeles police on Thursday announced the arrest of a reputed drug dealer suspected of hiring two men to kill a transient in an encampment under a downtown bridge over an unpaid $100 drug debt.

Police said Enrique Valenzuela, 34, allegedly paid two of his drug runners to kill Vincent Hernandez on July 17 in a “narcotics deal that went bad.”

Hernandez, 30, who police said was a heroin addict, was shot and killed in a drive-byshooting July 17 under the transition road bridge near 3rd and Hope streets. Two of hiscompanions, Angel Ramos, 24, and Luis Hernandez, 24, were wounded in the 3 a.m. attack.

Police sought the two alleged gunmen, identified only as Latinos, both about 25 years old, named Manuel and Oscar.

Valenzuela, who was arrested early Thursday morning, was booked for investigation of one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of vicarious use of a firearm. He was held without bail pending arraignment today.

The weapons used in the shooting were an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9-millimeter automatic pistol, police said.

The three victims had been initially identified as homeless transients, but on Thursday Police Cmdr. Jim Chambers said, “We believe these guys were homeless by choice.” Chambers explained that the two wounded men had residences, but they and Hernandez spent most of their time under the bridge, which police described as a drug hangout.

“This shooting actually occurred because of a narcotics deal that went bad,” not as part of a vendetta against homeless people, as first feared, Chambers said.

Detective John Duncan said Valenzuela “has been involved extensively in the sale and transportation of heroin” and added that the three shooting victims have had “a long history of drug abuse.”

The shots were fired from a stolen van and the surviving victims identified the driver as a local street person, Police Lt. John McGinty said. Officers found the driver, whose name was not released, and he identified Valenzuela. Using special overtime funds set aside by the City Council, detectives spent hours staking out the corner of 3rd and Hill streets, where Valenzuela was known to hang out, and arrested him there, McGinty said.