2 Arrested in Fatal Drive-By Shooting
Two alleged gang members have been arrested in a weekend drive-by shooting at a Popeye’s Fried Chicken that killed a teen-age associate of a rival gang, and more arrests are expected, police said Wednesday.
Daniel Jesus Mejia, 22, of Encino, and Freddy Gonzalez, 22, of Pacoima, were arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of shooting Samuel Barrios, 16, to death, Los Angeles police Detective Rick Swanston said. They were being held at the West Valley station without bail.
Swanston said Mejia and Gonzalez were in Mejia’s station wagon as it drove past the Popeye’s in the 18300 block of Vanowen Street on Saturday night. Gunshots rang out from the car, killing Barrios and wounding four others.
Police knew Mejia drove a white station wagon, so they staked out the car Tuesday, Swanston said. About 6:15 p.m. they saw Mejia, Gonzalez and two others get into the car, and when it failed to start, they left in Gonzalez’s car.
When police stopped Gonzalez’s car, they found a .9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol inside, the type of weapon used in the shooting, Swanston said.
Swanston said there may be more arrests in the case. Witnesses reported seeing two or three people inside the station wagon flashing gang signs moments before the shooting.
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