Man Arrested in Shooting of Gang Member, 3-Year-Old
A man accused of gunning down a member of a rival gang and a 3-year-old boy who got in the way was arrested Wednesday afternoon, several hours after police released his name and got a tip about his location, officers said.
Jerson Lemus, 21, is accused of being the gunman in the attack at 9:30 p.m. Sunday in Echo Park, said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Willie Guerrero.
The suspect was arrested without incident in the San Fernando Valley about 5 p.m.
Rogelio Ponce, 20, and his young cousin, Christopher Zaldepena, remained hospitalized Wednesday at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where both were listed in critical but stable condition.
The shooting was apparently committed because of gang rivalry, said Los Angeles Police Det. Andy Cicoria.
“There was some feuding between [Ponce’s] gang and the suspect’s gang,” Cicoria said.
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