2 Men Held in New Year’s Day Robbery Attempt

Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder Friday in connection with a botched New Year’s Day robbery attempt in which they allegedly killed an accomplice by accident, authorities said. Ironically, the dead man had accidentally shot a friend to death in 1994.

Los Angeles police arrested David Gaston Santos, 29, of Canoga Park, and Alfredo Lima, 27, at Lima’s Canoga Park home about 12:30 p.m., Det. Rick Swanston said. Both men were being held without bail Friday night at the West Valley Police Station.

Police said Santos, Lima and Jaime Pina, 27, kicked open the door of a first-floor apartment in the 8000 block of Reseda Boulevard about 1 a.m. Thursday.

The men, armed with handguns, announced they were conducting a robbery and forced Omar Lopez, 19, and Leo Avila, 34, to lie on the floor, Swanston said.

Unaware of the robbers, Ricardo Campos, 17, came out of a bedroom and startled the gunmen.

The gunmen opened fire. Bullets hit Campos in the wrist and grazed his head, authorities said. Campos fled out a back window.

Avila was struck three times, in the leg, torso and head.

He remains hospitalized in grave condition, Swanston said. Lopez, who was not hit, fled out the front door.

As the gunmen were fleeing, one of them accidentally shot Pina, apparently mistaking him for one of the victims, Swanston said. Pina, who was hit once in the chest, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

“They never got a chance to do any robbing,” Swanston said of the gunmen.

Campos returned and was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he was later released. Lopez, who cut his hand while fleeing, was treated by paramedics at the scene and released.

Santos and Lima both face murder charges in Pina’s death and could face another murder charge if Avila dies. “At this point we don’t know if he’s going to make it or not,” Swanston said.

Just as Pina had died as a result of an apparently accidental shooting, he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter two years ago after accidentally shooting a friend, police said.

Pina pleaded guilty to the charge in 1996 after shooting Bernardo Martinez, 23. Pina was sentenced to two years in prison but was discharged in April and deported, Swanston said.

Pina returned to the United States later that month.

Martinez and a friend were visiting Pina and his live-in companion, Martha Figueroa, at their Canoga Park apartment in December 1994 when Pina showed them his new pistol, a .25-caliber semiautomatic.

After firing a shot outside, Pina then brought the gun inside to show it to Martinez.

The gun went off, striking Martinez in the head, authorities said. Pina eluded police for more than a year before police saw him stepping off a bus in Canoga Park in April 1996.