LOS ANGELES (AP) – Authorities have made two arrests in connection with a series of shootings in Southern California that left four people dead, including a 14-year-old boy.
The shootings occurred late Sunday night and early Monday morning in southeast Los Angeles County, spanning the cities of Bell, Cudahy, Huntington Park, and the Florence-Firestone area of South L.A.
A red Honda Pilot SUV believed to be involved in the killings has been recovered, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
One suspect was apprehended after a traffic stop in San Bernardino County, while the second suspect was arrested by a SWAT team serving a search warrant at a home.
The suspects have been identified as 42-year-old Gary Garcia and 20-year-old Timberland Wayne McNeely, both believed to be gang members.
Authorities believe a third suspect may still be at large and emphasized that the shootings appear to be a random murder spree.
One of the shootings left 14-year-old Javier Pedraza Jr. dead, with another boy injured and hospitalized in stable condition. The other victims have been identified as 24-year-old Kevin Parada, whose mother is planning a vigil in his honor, and two others whose names are being withheld by the medical examiner’s office.
Anyone with information about the killings has been urged to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.