Man Sought in Slayings Surrenders : Crime: Suspect in unrelated shooting gives up after Compton police say he is wanted for questioning in the killing of two officers.

A 25-year-old man wanted for questioning in the execution-style slaying of two Compton police officers walked into the Compton police headquarters Thursday night with his mother and quietly surrendered.

James Deon Smith of Compton was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with an unrelated drive-by shooting that took place in the same area and on the same night that Officers Kevin Michael Burrell and James Wayne MacDonald were killed.

Both officers were gunned down Feb. 22 after they stopped two men in a late-model, red Chevrolet pickup. The two officers, who investigators believe may have known their killers, never drew their weapons.

Smith, known as “Li’l Deon,” surrendered just two hours after police held a news conference to announce that they were looking for him and three other men they believe may have been involved in the shooting, or may have information that could help them find the killers.

The other men are Jeffrey Paul Edward, 32; Orlando Raymond Ford, 19, and Alfred Lopez, 27. All three are wanted in unrelated crimes and are considered armed and dangerous.

Edward, who has “Jeff” tattooed on his left arm, is wanted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a Christmas Day murder last year of a 21-year-old man. Deputy Diane Hecht said the victim was attending a family gathering and was inside when he was struck by bullets fired from the street.

Ford is wanted on suspicion of a murder involving a man who police say was a rival gang member. The victim apparently was shot to death during a fight.

Lopez, who police said participated in the drive-by shooting with Smith, is wanted for attempted murder.

Police offered few details about the four men but said they are narrowing their inquiry to the Piru set of gangs. Keith Terris Caldwell, who was arrested on a separate charge two weeks ago but whom police had sought for questioning about the officers’ murders, belongs to a group known as the Fruit Town Pirus, investigators said.

Caldwell has not been charged with any crime relating to the officers’ deaths, and police would not discuss the results of their questioning. But Wright said Edward and Ford also are members of the Fruit Town Pirus--named because the gang’s territory includes streets named Cherry, Plum, Peach and Pear.

Lopez and Smith are members of the Neighborhood Pirus, Wright said. Burrell and MacDonald were killed just outside Piru boundaries, investigators said.

Wright said that police investigators have been searching for Edward, Ford and Lopez for about two weeks and believe they are in the Los Angeles area. Ford is a Compton resident. The addresses of the other two are unknown.