Local News in Brief : Man Slain After Chase, Gun Battle
After a high-speed chase and a short gun battle Sunday evening, sheriff’s deputies killed a 25-year-old East Los Angeles man who had fled from his apartment building after fatally shooting his next-door neighbor.
Detectives said Fernando G. Lemus shot his neighbor, Julian Rodriguez, 28, in the head after accusing Rodriguez of having a romantic interest in his wife. Lemus fled the scene in his car and deputies chased him 3 miles to the intersection of Atlantic and District boulevards, where Lemus drove over a median, causing his car to spin to a halt.
Authorities said Lemus fired a shot from his .38-caliber handgun at the deputies, who returned the fire and shot him in the chest.
Rodriguez, a mechanic, died at 7:30 p.m. at County/USC Medical Center.
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