2 Slayings Occurred During Holdup Attempt, Police Say

The Thanksgiving weekend slaying of Nick Frontuto and his cousin, Victor Rosa, outside their aunt’s Almetz Street home was the tragic result of a confrontation with a gunman who was trying to rob them, police said Tuesday.

As the victims’ families struggled to come to terms with their loss, police continued to search Tuesday for the attacker, described only as a young man in dark clothing.

Frontuto, 19, and Rosa, 18, were characterized by family members as young men who had problems in the past but were trying to turn their lives around.

“I’m not going to say that they were the greatest kids, but they had big hearts,” said a female family member who asked that her name not be used to protect her safety. “They were in the house that night, trying to stay out of trouble.”

Rosa was planning to start a new job Monday as a maintenance worker for a tax-preparation service and Frontuto intended to ask his girlfriend in January to marry him, the woman said.

Their plans were thwarted early Sunday when Frontuto and another cousin, who were staying overnight at their aunt’s house in the 13000 block of Almetz Street, went outside to walk Rosa to his car at 3:30 a.m., police said.

The three men were approached by an assailant who demanded money, and a brief confrontation ensued, police said. The attacker, authorities said, drew a gun and shot Rosa in the head and Frontuto in the upper body as he ran back into the house. The third cousin was not injured in the attack.

The aunt came downstairs when she heard the shots. “Nicky died in her arms,” the woman said.

Rosa was taken to Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, where he was declared brain dead and placed on life-support systems until his organs were harvested Monday morning, the family member said. He was removed from the equipment late Monday.

“It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to our family,” the woman said. “We are all just devastated.”

Police had no suspects Tuesday but were continuing to follow leads, said Det. Frank Bishop of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division.