Pacoima Man Fatally Shot While Taking a Walk With Son, 5

A Pacoima man walking home from the corner market was shot repeatedly and killed in a puzzling attack witnessed by his 5-year-old son, police said Wednesday.

Thomas Torres, 34, was carrying groceries to his house in the 13900 block of Paxton Street about 8:40 p.m. Tuesday when he was confronted by at least two men, one of whom shot him several times, Detective Percy Morris said.

Torres, a truck driver on disability leave, stumbled down the driveway and collapsed near a back yard garage where he died a short time later.

His son, who had gone to the store with Torres to buy milk and candy bars, was not injured in the attack for which police said they have no apparent motive. Morris and friends of Torres said the man had no gang connections.

“It was supposed to be just a nice little stroll,” Morris said.

The killers, described only as Latino men 18 to 22 years old, ran around the corner to a waiting car and sped away after the shooting. No arrests had been made Wednesday.

Neighbors and friends of the dead man said two men followed Torres from the market at the corner of Paxton Street and Laurel Canyon Boulevard while a third waited for him just outside his house. Police said as many as five men may have been involved and that Torres appears to have been the intended victim--not a bystander in another attack.

When Torres started walking up the driveway, friends said, one of the men began shooting. They said Torres was hit three times.

Other shots, they said, hit cars in the driveway.

It was unclear how many shots were fired.

The killing puzzled police and friends of Torres, who was described as a generous, amiable man.

“He was a good man,” said one man who asked not to be identified. “He was friends with everyone in the neighborhood. Everybody liked him. He would do favors for anyone.”