Suspect Is Arrested in Slaying
An alleged gang member was arrested on suspicion of murder in the ambush shooting of a rival in a Burbank wash, authorities said Monday.
Jose Carlos Serna, 19, of Los Angeles is accused of killing Carlos Chavez, 19, of Arleta on Nov. 21, Burbank Police Det. Chris Racina said. Serna is being held without bail.
The victim belonged to a Burbank gang and Serna is a Glendale gang member, Racina said. The shooting was the latest attack in a long-standing feud, the detective added.
“It’s a rivalry that goes back years,” Racina said. “But over the past few months, we’ve seen escalating violence between the two gangs, including shootings, assaults and threats directed through graffiti.”
Witnesses said Chavez was confronted by three men who had been hiding in bushes in the concrete wash along the 200 block of West Spazier Avenue. The men asked him where he was from, and after Chavez declared his gang affiliation, he was shot multiple times.
Police are still seeking the other two suspects. Anyone with information about the killing is asked to call Burbank detectives at (818) 238-3263.
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