Woman Shot to Death at Medical Clinic After Repeated Threats From Husband

A woman who told a friend that her estranged husband was going to kill her was shot to death in a Santa Fe Springs medical clinic Thursday, authorities said.

Although several witnesses identified the gunman as the husband, Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators said only that they were seeking a “male family member” in the slaying.

The 35-year-old victim, who was shot several times in the torso, died shortly after arrival at a nearby hospital, deputies said. They released no other details of the shooting.

Carmen Semidey, an employee of the clinic and a longtime friend of the victim, said the gunman walked into the facility shortly before noon and demanded from the woman that he be allowed to see their 6-month-old son. After a short argument, he pulled out a handgun, shot the victim once and paused until she fell to the ground, then shot her again several times, Semidey said.

“It was too fast there was not much I could do,” she said.

Semidey, office manager of the clinic in the 10000 block of Orr & Day Road, said her friend had been estranged from her husband since discovering two months ago that he had another wife. The victim, who had custody of the 6-month-old son, had been living with different friends until about two weeks ago, Semidey said, and had been asked to leave by various hosts because of the possible danger posed by the husband.

The woman and her child spent a night on the streets before turning to Semidey, who said she consoled the victim through several periods of marital turbulence.

Semidey said she took the woman in and gave her $300 to hire a lawyer. The victim was planning to obtain a restraining order on grounds of emotional and physical abuse, Semidey said, but the petition had not been filed.

Semidey said the husband tracked the woman and continued to harass her during the two months of estrangement.

Earlier this week, the husband found the woman at Semidey’s home and for the two days preceding the shooting, the couple discussed how they could “work things out,” Semidey said.

Semidey said the wife was trying to divide the couple’s belongings and get the husband to leave her alone. The woman wanted to take the child and separate from the husband “without violence,” Semidey said.

Before Semidey left for work on Thursday, the woman spoke anxiously about her husband’s most recent threat to kill her, Semidey said.

Times staff writer John H. Lee contributed to this story.