Neighborhood Ice Cream Vendor Slain in Her Van
An ice cream vendor was shot and killed Monday evening as she neared the end of her shift in Canoga Park, police said.
Carolyn LaFleur of Van Nuys had sold frozen treats from her van to apartment dwellers near the intersection of Parthenia Street and Variel Avenue for about 25 years, according to Renee Jensen, who said LaFleur was her mother.
Los Angeles Police Capt. Joseph Curreri said witnesses saw a gunman shoot LaFleur about 6:50 p.m. in the upper body as she sat in the driver’s seat of her van.
LaFleur, said to be in her 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Curreri said robbery appears to be the motive.
Police Department spokesman Jason Lee said witnesses identified an 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy as suspects in the shooting. They fled the scene on foot and were still at large Monday night.
Jensen said LaFleur earned a modest living with the truck and was well known to residents in the area.
“She didn’t make enough money to rob,” Jensen said. “It doesn’t make sense that somebody from here would shoot her.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
