Sylmar Man Fatally Shot During Robbery
An apparent good Samaritan was killed and another man was wounded in a shooting Friday evening on in the 8900 block of Burnet Avenue, Los Angeles police said.
Clarence Coats, 34, of Sylmar, died at the scene of the shooting. Police say Coats may have been shot while trying to stop two men from robbing a street vendor, said Det. Jesse Castillo of the LAPD Devonshire Division.
The vendor, Rogelio Garcia, 33, of North Hills, was shot once in the upper body and taken to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, where he is listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit, said a hospital spokeswoman.
Police responded to the shots-fired call at 6:25 p.m. and found Garcia and Coats on the ground.
Castillo said it appears the two gunmen were robbing Garcia when Coats intervened. The men fled on foot and no descriptions were available.
“We’re investigating the possibility that he jumped in and tried to help the vendor but we’re still not sure what happened,” said Castillo.
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