PALMDALE : Man Held in Killing of Wife’s Friend
Johnnie (Bill) Reese of Palmdale was arrested Monday and charged with killing a man who accompanied Reese’s estranged wife when she tried to pick up their 6-year-old son from Reese for a visit, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies said.
Reese, 46, was arrested at 4:20 a.m. at 69th and Figueroa streets in Los Angeles by sheriff’s deputies and Los Angeles police and charged with murder in the death of Melvin Lee, 39, of Wrightwood, Sheriff’s Deputy Rich Erickson said.
Reese was being held without bail, he said.
The estranged couple had agreed to custody and visitation rights in court earlier this month, Erickson said. About 7 p.m. Sunday, Reese’s wife arrived at the 10th Place East residence in Palmdale, where Reese was staying with friends. She honked the horn of her car, waiting for her son to emerge, but Reese came out instead and fired two pistol shots, hitting Lee, deputies said.
The woman drove Lee to Palmdale Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about 7:30 p.m., Erickson said. Meanwhile, Reese fled, he said.
The child was released to his mother’s custody, Erickson said.
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