Warrant Issued for Suspect in Christmas Shooting

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Sylmar man suspected of shooting a young father Christmas night in the Candy Cane Lane neighborhood, police said Thursday.

Carlos Alvaro Beltrani Merino, 32, is believed to have shot Francisco Javier Hernandez, the 24-year-old father of a 2-year-old boy, over a money dispute, said Det. Rick Swanston of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley Division.

The Canoga Park man, who was shot in the head and abdomen, remains on life support at an area hospital.

“It’s a little relief . . . that [the suspect] might not get away with it. But the important thing is that Javier gets better,” said Hernandez’s sister-in-law, Adalina Hernandez.

Hernandez’s family is keeping vigil every day at the hospital, hoping he will come out of his coma, she said.

Swanston said Merino, an ex-convict who has served two prison sentences, may have fled to his native Mexico. The LAPD is working with Mexican law enforcement on his capture, he said.

The warrant for Merino’s arrest charges him with attempted murder and with possession of a gun--a felony for an ex-convict, police said.

If arrested south of the border, the suspect cannot be extradited to the United States, but Swanston said the LAPD would try to persuade Mexican authorities to prosecute.

Investigators believed all along that Hernandez knew the gunman who brazenly shot him in front of scores of families, including his wife and their son, who were visiting the Woodland Hills neighborhood famous for its holiday decorations and light displays.

In what police believe was a chance encounter, Hernandez apparently saw Merino in Candy Cane Lane and approached him about their financial dispute, Swanston said. Merino then allegedly shot Hernandez and fled.

Searching through records, police found that Hernandez had filed a crime report last April claiming he was owed about $1,300 by a man in a dispute over auto insurance, Swanston said. The man’s name and address turned out to be fake, but Hernandez had also taken down the man’s car license plate number, which police traced to a 1998 dark green Honda Civic.

“We were able to identify Merino through that car,” Swanston said.

Witnesses near the intersection of Lubao Avenue and Calvert Street, where the shooting took place, told police they saw a dark green car, possibly a Honda, in the area.

Police found additional evidence in the suspect’s Sylmar residence that connected him with the crime, Swanston said. Through photographs, witnesses also identified Merino as the gunman.

Merino’s family, including his mother and sisters, have so far refused to cooperate with police, Swanston added.

“He’s considered armed and dangerous,” Swanston said of the suspect. “If anyone sees him, call the police.”

Merino is Latino, with brown hair and brown eyes, standing 5-feet-5 and weighing 150 pounds. Anyone with more information is asked to call (818) 756-8546 weekdays or (213) 485-2504 after hours.