Driver Convicted in Man’s Shooting Death

A Van Nuys Superior Court jury Friday found a 19-year-old Arleta woman guilty of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for driving a car used in a drive-by shooting in which a man was killed and his girlfriend injured.

The jury deliberated nearly three days before finding Karen Argott guilty in the death of Odilon Gonzalez, 23, of Pacoima and the attempted shooting of his girlfriend, Irma Ortega, 21, of Van Nuys, on Jan. 13.

The jury also convicted Argott of a felony charge of shooting into an occupied vehicle.

Eleven to 16 shots were fired at Gonzalez and Ortega as they drove west on Oxnard Street near Van Nuys Boulevard, police said. Ortega was cut by flying glass but escaped serious injury when Gonzalez pushed her to the floor of the car, police said.

Gonzalez, who previously had been identified by authorities as Odilon Navarette, was shot in the back, both arms and head, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Shellie Samuels, who prosecuted the case.

An arrest warrant was issued for Walter Oswaldo Barillas, 23, of Sepulveda, who prosecutors allege fired the shots at Argott’s behest. Barillas remains at large, Samuels said.

Samuels said Argott asked Barillas to shoot at the couple in retaliation for an earlier incident in which her windshield was broken by bottles outside a birthday party for Ortega’s sister. Samuels said Ortega did not take part in the bottle-throwing.

“It’s an unusual drive-by-shooting where it’s not the shooter who had the motives. It’s the driver,” Samuels said. “But I think she was as culpable as the shooter in the case. The driver had the motive and the driver went and got the shooter and brought him to the scene.”

Argott’s defense attorney, Ralph Peretz, contended that there was no proof that his client was driving the car.