SWAT Team Arrests Suspect in Slaying

A Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team used tear gas early Wednesday to capture a suspect in a slaying who retreated into his Reseda apartment when he spotted officers coming toward him, authorities said.

Detectives spotted Hector Rodolfo Mejia, 36, around 9 p.m. in front of his apartment in the 7400 block of Louise Avenue, Los Angeles Police Lt. Anthony Alba said.

Mejia went back into the apartment, Alba said, and police spent the next three hours trying to persuade him to come out.

A Special Weapons and Tactics team fired tear gas into the apartment shortly before midnight, Alba said, and Mejia surrendered to police about 12:05 a.m.

Mejia is a suspect in the shooting death of Jose Napoleon Orellana, 29, who was killed Sunday outside his Van Nuys home in the 6700 block of Hayvenhurst Avenue, Alba said.

Authorities said a lingering money dispute between the men may have led to the 7:30 a.m. shooting.

Mejia, who owed money to Orellana, shot him several times in the chest with a handgun, authorities said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police issued an alert for Mejia and the gray 1990 Toyota pickup truck that he used to flee the same day of the shooting.

Authorities said Mejia had lived with Orellana sporadically at the apartment until the day of the shooting.