Gangs Are Blamed for 2 Unrelated Slayings

A confrontation involving gang members at a Lynwood eatery ended in violence Saturday when one man was killed in a hail of gunfire, and gangs were also blamed for a murder in Venice.

Sheriff’s deputies said the Lynwood altercation started when Richard Trevino, 19, got into an argument with a couple of gang members outside Angelo’s Burgers, 10990 S. Atlantic Ave.

Trevino and 10 friends were standing in front of the popular meeting place, according to sheriff’s deputies, when two men walked up and started shouting gang slogans at them.

Returned With Gun

A fight ensued and one of the gang members left and returned with a gun about 1:15 a.m. He shot Trevino several times in the upper torso, Deputy George Ducoulombier said. Trevino died about four hours later at Long Beach Memorial Hospital. Authorities said they do not know if Trevino belonged to a gang.

Lashawnte Taylor, 18, was arrested at the scene and booked on suspicion of murder, Ducoulombier said. A second suspect fled. Deputies do not know which one pulled the trigger.

In an unrelated slaying, Los Angeles police said Jose Juan Espana, 19, of Venice was killed when he was hit in the back by a shot fired from a car in the 2000 block of Penmar Avenue.

Espana was pronounced dead at the scene around 2 a.m. Police said he was in the company of two gang members when the shooting occurred, but they could not say if he was a gang member.

The four suspects were traveling in a red car. There have been no arrests.

Driver Arrested

In another shooting incident nearby, Santa Monica police booked a 35-year-old man for suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and felony evading arrest after he led them on a wild, high-speed chase that ended with police firing 10 shots at his car.

Archie M. Thomas, a Los Angeles resident, is being held without bail, police said.

Sgt. W. Harry Kutzbach said the incident began at 2:30 a.m., when Thomas came within four feet of striking a policeman standing in the crosswalk at Santa Monica Boulevard and the 3rd Street Promenade. A car chase ensued, with police and sheriff’s deputies trailing Thomas’ car down Santa Monica Boulevard and then Ocean Avenue at speeds as fast as 100 m.p.h.

Thomas lost control of his vehicle in the 6200 block of Venice Boulevard and crashed into a light pole and several parked cars, Kutzbach said. As police approached the car on foot, however, Thomas hit the accelerator and tried to run over one officer, Kutzbach said.

Another officer fired at the speeding car, missing Thomas but hitting his automobile 10 times. Kutzbach said Thomas’ car finally sputtered to a halt about 300 feet away, near the intersection of the Santa Monica Freeway and La Cienega Boulevard.

Thomas, who was unarmed, was arrested and treated for minor injuries before he was booked.