Public Works Supervisor Slain in Office : Violence: Gunman escapes after shooting 20-year veteran of department. Police have no suspects or motive.

A Los Angeles County Department of Public Works supervisor, described as a family man by relatives and neighbors, was shot and killed Thursday morning in his Westchester maintenance yard office by an unknown assailant, authorities said.

Herman Richards, 42, was in his unlocked office at the start of his shift when a gunman entered about 5:30 a.m. and fired several shots, striking him in the upper body, said Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Ross Moen.

Richards, a South Los Angeles resident who had been a public works employee for 20 years, died shortly afterward at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital in Inglewood, Moen said.

His assailant returned to a car parked on West 83rd Street and sped off, police said. Several employees heard gunfire, but none witnessed the shooting, Moen said. They found Richards mortally wounded on the office floor.

Gates to the yard were open so that street sweeping crews, who normally arrive about 3 a.m., could get in and out, officials said.

Jean Granucci, a spokeswoman for public works, said it was not unusual for the maintenance yard or Richards’ office to be unlocked.

“We never had any problems like this before,” Granucci said. She said she was uncertain whether security would be reviewed.

Police have no suspects and a motive has not been established.

“I just don’t believe someone, anyone, would do this,” said Sylvia Richards, his wife of 17 years and mother of their two sons, ages 7 and 11. “You hear about these kinds of things every day, but you just never think it’s going to happen to you.”

Family and friends crowded the Richards’ modest house in a middle-class neighborhood where the slain man had been active in a Neighborhood Watch group and his sons’ Boy Scout troop.

“You normally feel that if you mind your own business and stay out of trouble you’re not going to get blown away,” said neighbor Alfred Fisher. “But now . . . “ His voice trailed off, then he added, “It’s scary.”

Working his way up from laborer, Richards became a road maintenance superintendent 10 years ago, responsible for about 30 employees who inspect and repair 300 miles of roads in the unincorporated areas of southwestern Los Angeles County.

As usual, Richards arrived at work an hour early Thursday to get a jump on paperwork and make coffee for employees.

“He did not enjoy his work. He loved his work,” his wife said. “We would drive around and he would point and say, ‘This is what we did here and this is what we did there.’ He just had a lot of pride in his work.”

Anyone with information about the shooting may call detectives at (310) 202-4506.