Young Woman and Girl Found Shot in the Head

A young woman and an unidentified girl were found shot in the head, critically wounded, and dumped 2 1/2 miles apart in the northeastern San Fernando Valley early Monday in what police were investigating as possibly related cases.

One victim may be as young as 12 years old, according to a doctor who examined her, said Police Lt. Bernard D. Conine. The other, described as 17 to 21, has been identified through fingerprints, but police did not release her name or other information until relatives have been notified.

Conine said police are investigating the cases as possibly related because both victims were shot more than once in the head and upper body and abandoned in a similar fashion. They were discovered about 30 minutes apart between midnight and 1 a.m.