Man Slain, Woman Wounded in Attack

A man was shot to death and a woman seriously injured in the driveway of a West Hills home, police said Thursday.

The woman, whom police described as being in her 20s, was unable to talk but communicated to investigators that her assailant was a single gunman. She offered a motive in the shooting, but detectives declined to provide details.

“At this point we don’t believe it was a robbery or a gang drive-by or anything random,” said Det. Rick Swanston of the LAPD’s West Valley station.

James Navaroli, 36, was killed in the Wednesday night attack. The woman, his girlfriend of five years, was in serious condition at an undisclosed hospital. Her identity was being withheld for her protection.

Swanston said they were shot several times as they were getting out of their pickup truck in the driveway of the home at Ingomar Street and Woodlake Avenue.

Navaroli, who was hit in the head and upper body, died at the scene. The woman was hit in the upper body and is expected to recover.

Swanston said the woman responded to questions about the attack with head gestures.

The gunman, Swanston said, “probably thought he killed her.”

Elmo Navaroli, the dead man’s father, said his son had been living in the house for less than a month. He said James made a living by doing occasional welding jobs and installing car alarms.

He said that although James “had done his own thing” for many years, that he had become more responsible since he began dating his current girlfriend. The couple have two children.

Navaroli said that he and his wife spoke to James several days ago and that nothing seemed amiss.

“I have no idea why this would have happened,” he said.

The shooting is the second in less than a week in West Hills, a suburb in the west San Fernando Valley.

On Halloween, a man was shot four times in the chest after opening the door to a man wearing a ghost mask. The victim in that shooting is expected to recover.

Times staff writer Solomon Moore contributed to this story.