Carlos Alberto Vera, 22

Carlos Alberto Vera, a 22-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Friday, June 10, in the 7500 block of Compton Avenue in Florence-Firestone, according to Los Angeles County coroner records. 

About 3:45 p.m., Vera was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk, heading south on Compton Avenue, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Jauch. 

A person described only as a Latino adult got out of a white car parked next to the curb, drew a handgun and began shooting at Vera as he rode by, Jauch said. The man fired multiple shots, then got back in the car and drove away heading south on Compton and then east on East 76th Street, until he was out of view. 

Vera was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:41 p.m., according to coroner’s records. 

On Saturday, more than 50 family and friends organized a car wash  at the scene to raise money for funeral costs. People held up signs while others used buckets and towels to clean any car that stopped.

Across the street, family members built a small white covering to protect candles from the day's drizzling rain.

"He was my baby brother, my only brother," his sister, Christian Vera, said.

Carlos and his toddler daughter lived with his sister and her husband two blocks from the shooting scene. During the car wash, her daughter played with Christian's 2-year-old daughter.

Christian Vera said she thought her brother was bicycling to visit a friend the day he died. 

"He was so well known in the neighborhood. That's how so many people came out and wanted to help," she said. "It just doesn't add up. How does this happen to a guy like him?"

Investigators are trying to determine the motive and whether there’s a connection with two other fatal shootings that occurred in the neighborhood within the next nine hours, Jauch said. 

“We’re looking at causal factors to see if there’s a gang nexus or any nexus between the three shootings,” Jauch said. “We won’t rule it out, but we haven’t confirmed it.” 

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.  

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.