Woman Slain in Robbery Attempt in Store’s Parking Lot

Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators on Saturday were looking for a gunman who killed a 48-year-old woman Friday night outside a K mart store after demanding her purse, authorities said.

Maria Carrillo of Los Angeles was pronounced dead in the store’s parking lot in the 11500 block of South Western Avenue in the Athens area of South-Central Los Angeles. Her 22-year-old daughter, also named Maria, was with her when she was shot about 7 p.m. The younger Carrillo was not injured.

The Carrillos had just finished shopping at K mart and were returning to their car when the gunman approached them and demanded the older Carrillo’s purse, Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Mary Landreth said.

“A fight, an altercation started, and the suspect shot her once,” Landreth said.

The gunman, whom sheriff’s officials did not describe, apparently fled in a yellow car with another man, according to James Evans, a K mart security agent.

Meanwhile, K mart store manager Rod Scott said he plans to increase security at the store because of the incident. There were three guards on duty when the shooting occurred, but none was outside at the time, Evans said.

Evans said the shooting occurred about 25 feet from the store entrance.