NORTH HOLLYWOOD : Passenger Shot in Traffic Dispute Dies

A man shot in the head during a traffic dispute in North Hollywood has died, and a friend, also shot in the head, remained in serious condition Monday, Los Angeles police reported. No arrests had been made.

Cary Guzman, 25, of Hollywood, died at 10:45 p.m. Sunday, about 24 hours after being shot while in a car with two friends at the intersection of Oxnard Street and Lankershim Boulevard. One of the friends, David Cox, 25, of North Hollywood, was wounded in the head and was at an undisclosed hospital.

Detective David Alfred said the two victims were in a car driven by Rockie Edwards, 23, of North Hollywood. Edwards told police he was driving north on the Hollywood Freeway when a Mustang cut him off. Edwards followed the car until it exited at the Burbank Boulevard off-ramp.

“They wanted to know why he cut them off,” Alfred said. “If they would have just let it ride, this wouldn’t have happened. No one would have gotten hurt.”

Alfred said the Mustang driver tried to flee. A short chase followed. Edwards pulled his car alongside the Mustang on Lankershim at Oxnard, and the driver fired three shots into Edwards’ car, hitting Guzman and Cox.

Edwards described the other car as a 1969 to 1973 Mustang with license plates that included the numbers and letter 3-N-7-2-0, not necessarily in that order.