Gang Nickname Brings Arrest in Shootings
A 19-year-old man’s gang nickname contributed to his arrest on suspicion of attempted murder in the shootings of two Reseda High School students as they waited for a school bus, Los Angeles police said Sunday.
Alex Cordova was seen by officers about 4:30 a.m. Sunday releasing air from tires on a black-and-white patrol car outside a central Los Angeles residence, Sgt. Alex Salazar said. Officers were at the home investigating a disturbance unrelated to the shootings, he said.
While the officers were struggling with Cordova and attempting to handcuff him, someone inside the building in the 800 block of S. Bonnie Brae Street yelled: “I love you, Casper,” Salazar said.
“Casper” was the nickname used by one of two assailants in the gang-related shooting of two male students, 15 and 17, Friday morning near the 10th Street Elementary School playground. The youths were seriously wounded and were listed in stable condition at County-USC Medical Center on Sunday.
No other arrests have been made in the shootings.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
