Whittier man sentenced in shooting death of friend
A 22-year-old Whittier man was sentenced Friday, March 21, in the shooting death of his friend, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Jose Antonio Barrios, a 22-year-old Latino, was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison.
On Jan. 31, after nearly two days of deliberations, a jury found Barrios guilty of fatally shooting Robert Christopher Guerrero.
Guerrero, 27, and Barrios ran into each other Feb. 1, 2013, at a Stater Bros. market, then got into Guerrero’s truck and drove to a residential area in Norwalk.
Barrios shot Guerrero three times, then pushed him out of the truck and drove away, prosecutors said.
Police later found Guerrero’s truck about two blocks away from Barrios' home. Barrios was arrested May 15.
-- Nicole Santa Cruz and Maloy Moore
Michael Valentino, 27
Michael Valentino, a 27-year-old white man, was killed in an officer-involved shooting Monday, March 24, in the 8100 block of Gould Avenue in Hollywood Hills West, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
Officers were responding to a domestic violence call about 8 a.m. and had just crossed the home’s threshold when Valentino shot at them with a semiautomatic gun, injuring an officer.
Valentino barricaded himself inside the home, police said.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said that the initial incident report showed the injured officer fired seven rounds at Valentino and “ultimately killed” him. He was pronounced dead at 11:24 a.m. at the scene, according to coroner’s records.
The attack was described as sudden and unprovoked by Los Angeles Police Asst. Chief Michel Moore.
“Our investigation’s ongoing as to how this occurred and why this occurred,” he said before cautioning that it was “not quite clear that we’ll come to …
Jeremy Joel Marquis Davis, 29
Jeremy Joel Marquis Davis, a 29-year-old black man, was shot and killed Sunday, March 23, near West 132nd Street and Broadway in Willowbrook, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
A motorcycle club in the area was hosting a large party where Davis and two others were shot about 1:50 a.m., said Lt. Dave Dolson with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Davis was pronounced dead at 2:05 a.m. at the scene, according to coroner’s records. The other two who were wounded are expected to survive.
An autopsy showed that Davis died of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Jeffrey Michael Cortinez, 24
Jeffrey Michael Cortinez, a 24-year-old white male, died Sunday, March 23, after sustaining blunt force trauma in South Pasadena, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Texas man's wanderlust ends tragically in a South L.A. motel room
Soon after Robert Brewer's father died of brain cancer, the slender 21-year-old with shaggy blond hair began traveling from state to state.
Brewer, who went by "Robee," loved the independence found on the open road. Brewer's four older siblings wanted him to stay in Rowlett, Texas, about 20 miles northeast of Dallas, but they understood his wanderlust.
Friends and family were grateful to see Brewer's Facebook posts, sometimes informing them of where he was. He kept in touch with his mother via telephone.
PHOTOS: The killing of Robert Brewer
Brewer spent time passing through Oregon and Montana. He talked about traveling farther, to Spain or Argentina.
On Nov. 9, 2013, not long after a short visit home, Brewer posted "on my way to Oregon" on his Facebook page. From there he planned to make his way down to California.
"He wasn't the homebody type," his sister, Rachelle Brewer, said. "He …
This week's featured reader comments
Acquaintances of homicide victims sometimes offer interesting perspectives in the comments section of the Homicide Report. This week brings two such comments.
Jason Miller writes about Christopher Emmett Lane, 24, who was shot to death in February in Long Beach.Chris played football for me at Compton High School. He was far from an exceptional player, in fact --he just wanted to be a part of something. His yearning to be a part of something led him to trouble at times. Yet Chris, had a great personality and a kind demeanor. He tried to point his life compass in the right direction by joining the military. His brother and sister were always involved in volunteering with the football team, my broken heart goes out to them.
Yaotl Sr's comment about Miguel Angel Rodriguez, 21, who was stabbed to death in Pacoima this month, is in a similar vein. …
Marie Lorraine Smith, 32
Marie Lorraine Smith, a 32-year-old black woman, was shot and killed Saturday, March 22, in the 11000 block of South Vermont Avenue in Athens, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
Deputies in the area heard several gunshots about 10:30 p.m. and went to a parking lot of a liquor store, said Lt. Dave Dolson with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Smith was found with gunshot wounds, and was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead at 10:57 p.m., according to coroner’s records.
Dolson said that Smith had an interaction between the people suspected in the shooting but did not know if she knew them.
Anyone with information can call the Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Charles Edward Bell II, 33
Charles Edward Bell, a 33-year-old black man, was shot and killed Sunday, March 23, near the intersection of East 6th Street and Long Beach Boulevard in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
Around 2:55 a.m. Long Beach police responded to a shots fired call and discovered four males who appeared to have been struck by gunfire, according to a news release from the Long Beach Police Department.
Bell was found lying in a restaurant parking lot with a single gunshot to the torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:12 a.m., according to Ed Winter a coroner’s spokesman.
The three other victims were transported in stable condition to area hospitals.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Long Beach homicide detectives Scott Lasch or Donald Goodman at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted by calling (800) 222-8477.
-- Maloy Moore
Simon Macedonio Mendoza, 40
Simon Macedonio Mendoza, a 40-year-old white man, was shot and killed Saturday, March 22, in the 11300 block of Medina Court in El Monte, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
Mendoza was discovered in the driver's side of a vehicle with several gunshot wounds to his upper torso about 12:32 a.m., according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A woman was in the passenger side of the vehicle and is expected to survive.
Mendoza was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:46 a.m., according to coroner’s records.
Authorities said that a person approached Mendoza and the woman on foot, fired into the vehicle several times, then ran away.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Mya Renee Migneault, 4
Mya Renee Migneault, a 4-year-old black girl, died Friday, March 21, after she suffered blunt force abdominal trauma in the 500 block of South Westlake Avenue in Westlake, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
After Mya became unresponsive, her babysitter took her to a hospital on a bus.
Mya was pronounced dead at a hospital at 8:03 p.m., according to coroner's records. An autopsy showed that Mya died of blunt abdominal trauma, according to coroner’s records.
The girl's babysitter, Vanessa Denise Hawkins Scott, a 53-year-old black woman, has been charged with murder, assault on a child causing death, and child abuse, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
Mya's mother was out of state during the incident, and had "no hand in this," said police Lt. Craig Herron.
According to relatives, the girl's mother was with her fiance in the South when she got news about her …
Albert Henry Williams, 50
Albert Henry Williams, a 58-year-old black man, was shot and killed Thursday, March 20, in the 900 block of Oleander Avenue in Compton, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
Williams was standing in the side yard of a residence when he was approached by a Latino man who shot him several times, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies found Williams, who had been shot several times, according to the news release.
Williams was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:58 p.m., according to coroner’s records.
Anyone with information can call the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
To grieve 7-year-old boy, family demonstrates against violence
Indi Mock-Carmona was supposed to be celebrating her grandson's 8th birthday Saturday. But instead of placing candles on a cake, she was rallying against violence with dozens of other people in a march along a busy corridor of Crenshaw Boulevard.
Since 7-year-old Taalib Pecantte was shot and killed in December, his family members have reached out to try to save other families from their grief.
Taalib, a boy his football coach said had the "heart of a lion," was shot in the back while sitting in a car with his mother and a male friend in Mid-City. Taalib's mother and the man survived.
“After what happened, I had to,” Mock said. “I had to stand up for my grandson.”
For Mock, that goal has led to her creating a group called the Senseless Act of Violence Effect, which aims to bring awareness to killings of innocent people.
“I’m just going …
Christopher Wayne Richardson, 22
Christopher Wayne Richardson, a 22-year-old black man, died Wednesday, March 19, nearly two weeks after he was shot in the 800 block of West 82nd Street in Vermont Knolls, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
Richardson was standing in front of a residence on March 6 about 1:05 p.m. when at least two black males drove by and a person shot at him from a light-colored or silver sedan, said LAPD Det. Sal LaBarbera.
Richardson was struck and taken to a hospital. He remained hospitalized until March 19, when he was pronounced dead at 8:06 p.m., according to coroner’s records.
The shooting was related to a Crips gang feud in the area. Earlier that day, Douglas Henry Wooley was killed.
Anyone with information can call LAPD’s 77th Division at (213) 485-1383. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
New on Homicide Report: Details about 16 recent homicide victims
The Times has added information regarding the following homicide victims. Click on a name to read more about their cases: