Failed Murder-Suicide Blamed in Slaying
A Canoga Park woman was shot to death and the man who lived with her was critically wounded Tuesday in what appeared to be a murder and suicide attempt, Los Angeles police said.
Police officers were called to a house in the 7000 block of Variel Avenue at 11:20 a.m. by neighbors who reported hearing gunfire, Lt. George Rock said.
Inside the home, officers found the body of 36-year-old Esther Maria Villa in a bedroom, Rock said. She had been shot to death. Nearby, her boyfriend, Juan Antonio Diaz, 29, was found suffering from a gunshot to the head.
Diaz was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center where he was in critical condition.
The handgun believed to have been used in the shootings was found near Diaz, police said.
If Diaz recovers, he could face a murder charge if the investigation concludes that he shot Villa.
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