Man Shot Dead in Hollywood Robbery

An act of kindness turned into a tragedy when a 45-year-old man who gave a ride to two strangers was killed, authorities said.

Police responding to a call of shots fired in Hollywood about 11:40 p.m. Sunday found Benjamin Cuevas Rodriguez suffering from a gunshot wound. He died at the scene.

According to Los Angeles Police Department detectives, Rodriguez and a female friend were sitting in a parked car near the Arena nightclub on Santa Monica Boulevard when a man and woman approached them.

“They tapped on their window [and] the male said, ‘Hey, can you give us a ride? My girlfriend is sick,’ ” said Det. Mike Thrasher of the LAPD’s Hollywood division.

Rodriguez and his friend agreed to help and allowed the strangers into the back seat, police said. The passengers directed Rodriguez to the 900 block of North Martel Avenue, about a mile to the west.

As they arrived, the man produced a handgun and demanded Rodriguez’s wallet, police said. When Rodriguez tried to dissuade him, the situation turned violent.

Rodriguez appeared to have been shot once in the torso. His friend wasn’t hurt. The attackers then fled in the car.

“I don’t think [the car] was the object of the attack,” Thrasher said. “The motive appears to be straight-up robbery. The victim wasn’t doing it quick enough for them. Things went a little bit south, and they decided to get out of there.”

One man staying at a nearby residence said he and a friend ran outside after hearing about three gunshots, and saw Rodriguez lying on the sidewalk in front of an apartment complex at 925 N. Martel.

Though police found the car Monday morning, the attackers remained at large. They are described as a 20- to 25-year-old male Latino, 5 feet 6 and 150 pounds, and a woman who may be Latino.

“If you don’t know the people, don’t let them in the car,” Thrasher said. “It’s a sad state of affairs, but it’s the only way to protect yourself.” Rodriguez and his friend “just thought they were doing somebody a favor,” he added.

Hollywood homicide detectives can be reached at (213) 485-6410.