2 Men Held in Shooting Over Alleged Drug Deal in Lancaster
Two men are suspected of shooting a couple in their Lancaster home after what investigators believe was a disagreement over a drug deal, authorities said Friday.
Melvin Carter, 32, of Palmdale, and Randolph Hicks, 53, of Lancaster, are scheduled to appear at Antelope Valley Municipal Court for arraignment Tuesday on charges of attempted murder.
Detectives arrested Carter at a local restaurant. Hicks turned himself in at the sheriff’s station in Lancaster, said Deputy Sonia Parra of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The men allegedly shot Rose and Eugene Kato about 2 p.m. Thursday after an argument that investigators say “may have been precipitated over a drug transaction,” Parra said.
Rose Kato, 45, was shot three times in the chest and was listed in critical but stable condition at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, a hospital spokesman said. Eugene Kato, 39, was shot once in the chest and was stable.
Carter and Hicks are being held in Lancaster jail on $1-million bail each.
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.
