Father Held in Shooting of Child’s Alleged Attacker

A San Fernando Valley man tracked down the man who allegedly raped his teenage daughter and shot him three times, police said Friday.

Martin Hernandez, 39, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division jail.

Police said Hernandez overheard his 17-year-old daughter tell her brother and her boyfriend that she had been sexually assaulted Thursday night by family friend Jose Argueta, 25.

Argueta had offered the girl a ride, then drove her to Sepulveda Recreation Park, where he assaulted her, police said. Afterward, Argueta drove her home.

Hernandez later tracked Argueta to Pacifica Hospital of the Valley in Sun Valley, where he shot him with a .25-caliber handgun, police said.

Argueta, 25, was arrested on suspicion of rape and was being treated for minor gunshot wounds to his torso in the jail ward at County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. He’s being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

“It’s a double tragedy,” said LAPD Det. Jesse Alvarado.

Hernandez has “to deal with his daughter who was assaulted, and he’s probably going to jail and won’t be around to take care of his kids,” the detective said.