Suspect held in double homicide
A suspected gang member is expected to be charged with murder today in the killing of two 22-year-old men on South Herbert Avenue, authorities said Wednesday.
Benjamin Renteria and Diego Vargas were killed Monday afternoon about 20 minutes after the unrelated double slaying of two older men in a used car lot less than a mile away on Olympic Boulevard. No one has been arrested in that case.
But Det. Howard Cooper of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said that a suspect, whose name was withheld pending the filing of charges, was arrested in the shooting deaths of Renteria and Vargas later that day.
“He was arrested on unrelated charges and he is a suspect in this case,” Cooper said. “We believe he is responsible for the death of both victims.”
Cooper said the suspect is an active gang member and that Renteria and Vargas are believed to be possible gang members from Maywood. They were visiting friends when they were killed, the detective said.
Anyone with information is asked to call (323) 890-5500.
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-- Hector Becerra
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