Man charged with shooting another man in front of a child

A man who authorities say fatally shot another man in front of a 6-year-old boy in Long Beach was charged with murder May 22, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. 

Prosecutors say Jason Monroe Daniels fatally shot William Luther Hayes, 38, on April 19. Daniels, 33, has been charged with three felony counts — murder, child abuse and possession of a firearm by a felon. The charges include a special allegation that Daniels used a firearm to commit the crime.

On April 19, Daniels visited an ex-girlfriend’s family home in Long Beach, prosecutors said. Daniels became agitated when he saw Hayes outside spending time with the ex-girlfriend’s son, prosecutors said. 

Daniels exited the house, approached Hayes and shot him in front of the boy, according to prosecutors. Daniels then fled the scene, prosecutors said. 

Long Beach police responded to the scene. Hayes was taken to a local hospital where he later died, according to coroner’s records.

Two weeks after the incident, U.S. marshals arrested Daniels in Las Vegas, prosecutors said. 

Daniels was convicted in 2004 of having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, in 2007 of corporal injury to child’s parent in 2007, and in 2014 of making criminal threats and assault with a firearm, according to the felony complaint. 

If convicted as charged in the slaying of  Hayes, Daniels faces a maximum possible sentence of life in state prison. 

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @jeromercampbell and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.