Shooting Death 4th in 2 Weeks
A man died Monday after being shot in the parking lot of a North Hills strip mall, police said. He was the fourth person to be shot to death in the area in less than two weeks.
Police believe that at least two of the shootings were gang-related, said Lt. Tim Moss of the LAPD’s Devonshire Division.
The latest victim, believed to be in his 20s, was shot four times about 8 p.m. Sunday in a parking lot in the 15200 block of Parthenia Street, Moss said. He died early Monday at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.
Witnesses saw four males run from the scene, police said. Moss said the victim, whose name was withheld until relatives could be notified, is a known gang member.
On Jan. 11, George Pajuelo, a 21-year-old gang member from Van Nuys, was shot and killed behind a strip mall directly across the street from Sunday’s shooting, Moss said. A bystander was wounded.
Earlier that same day, the bullet-riddled body of Jacqueline Osterman, 54, of North Hills was found three blocks away in the 8900 block of Columbus Avenue.
And nearby on Jan. 8, Joel Christopher Walker, 20, of Central Los Angeles was fatally shot in the 15800 block of Rayen Street.
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