2 Adults, Girl Shot During Family Dispute

A restaurant worker apparently involved in a family dispute shot three people, including a 2-year-old girl, in an apartment complex in Newhall on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The wounded child was airlifted to Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles.

She was shot in the head and was in critical condition, according to authorities.

The two adult victims identified by authorities as a man and woman in their 20s, were shot in the legs and their conditions were unknown. They were admitted to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, authorities said.

The victims were believed to be members of Jose Luis Diaz’s family, but their exact relationship remained unclear and police kept news media away from the shooting scene.

After believing Diaz, the suspect, was holed up in an apartment building at 2717 14th St. for five hours, authorities said about 9 p.m. that that they believed he had fled.

At that time, three men left the apartment building, but it was unclear if one of them was Diaz.

Afterward, sheriff’s officials said a search of the building failed to turn up Diaz.

“Once we sort out the good guys from the bad, we’ll put out some more information,” said Rich Erickson, a sheriff’s spokesman.

After the 4 p.m. shooting, sheriff’s deputies had blocked off 14th Street from Newhall Avenue to Walnut Street and a three-block stretch of Newhall Avenue from Lyons Avenue to 15th Street.

Houses on both sides of the apartment complex were evacuated as sheriff’s helicopters and a K-9 unit searched the area Saturday afternoon while about 100 neighbors looked on.

Although details about the shooting were sketchy, a sheriff’s spokesman said the victims were shot with a shotgun.

A witness said there had been an argument before the shooting.

The landlord, Vince Downey, described the suspect as “very quiet.”

“I was here last night talking to him,” Downey said. “He’s the nicest guy you ever met. He’s real calm.”

He said Diaz had lived in the apartment complex six months.

The victims moved in June 1, Downey said.