Gang Shoot-Out Erupts in Front of Deputies

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies unwittingly became involved in a gang shoot-out Friday night when members of two rival gangs pulled their cars up to the same stoplight and opened fire at each other--apparently unaware that the sheriff’s patrol car was already stopped just a lane away, authorities said Saturday.

The incident, in an unincorporated area near Compton, ended with one reputed gang member killed and three others wounded. The deputies were not injured.

Police arrested all four surviving gang members, one after a brief high-speed chase that ended when the suspect’s car struck a wall near a motel, sheriff’s spokesman George Ducoulombier said.

Teen-Ager Dies

The driver, Mike Thomas, 28, of Compton, was uninjured in the crash, but a 17-year-old passenger later was pronounced dead at Charter Suburban Hospital in Paramount. The teen-ager had suffered gunshot wounds in the chest prior to the crash, but police were awaiting an autopsy to determine the cause of death, Ducoulombier said.

Thomas was booked on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, Ducoulombier said. He was being held without bail.

Three teen-agers in the second car also fled the scene but were arrested at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, where two of them--both 16 years old--were seeking treatment for gunshot wounds. Hospital officials notified deputies of their arrival, police said.

The most seriously injured teen-ager was listed in serious but stable condition at County USC Medical Center, suffering from a head wound, authorities said. The other teen-ager was shot in the hand, and a 15-year-old who drove them to the hospital was uninjured.

Held Without Bail

All three were being held without bail on suspicion of murder and attempted-murder, police said.

The unlikely shoot-out began about 8:25 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of Alondra Boulevard at Atlantic Avenue as the two sheriff’s deputies were waiting for the light to change. Cars of the two rival gangs pulled up about the same time and gunfire broke out. Neighbors later estimated that about two dozen shots were fired.

The two deputies drew a shotgun and a 9-millimeter pistol and ordered a halt to the shooting, Ducoulombier said. At that point, one gang member turned and pointed his handgun at the deputies, prompting them to open fire. Both gang cars then sped away.

Authorities said they were still trying to determine whether the wounded gang members, including the fatally injured 17-year-old, were shot by other gang members or by police gunfire.

The victim’s name was not released. Police also declined to release the names of the two deputies.

Man Shot Dead

Police were investigating at least two other incidents late Friday that may have been linked to gang violence. In Carson, David Valdenegro, 27, was shot and killed at Jefferson Street and Harbor View Avenue after an argument.

Neighbors reported hearing angry words and then gunshots, a sheriff’s spokesman said. The victim was found lying in the street and died at Dominguez Medical Center in Long Beach.

In West Los Angeles, Chadjo Streat, 17, was shot in the head from a passing car as he sat on a wall in front of a house. He was reported in critical condition and on life-support systems at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

No arrest has been made.