Sheriff’s Deputy: Altadena Shooting Victim May Have Been Targeted

While the suspect in Sunday’s fatal shooting in Altadena remains unknown, authorities believe the dead man may have been targeted and not a random victim, a sheriff’s deputy said.

“At this point, there’s no clear motive, but what I can say is that … it doesn’t appear to be a random act, just an innocent percent walking down the street and someone starts shooting at him at 1 o’clock in the afternoon,’’ Lt. Alex Canchola of the Altadena sheriff’s station said Tuesday night during his public safety report to the Altadena Town Council.

“So we don’t believe it’s any type of a random act and there’s somebody out there indiscriminately shooting at cars that are going by. We’re not concerned about that.’’

The victim remains identified only as a 45-year-old black man, pending notification of next of kin.

According to Canchola, “On Sunday, at approximately 1 o’clock, our station received a call of shots fired and a person down in the 500 block of Figueroa. Upon arrival, we found a single (meaning, alone) male suffering from a gunshot wound. The Fire Department responded, transported him immediately to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.’’

More specific details of the incident were still being sorted out, and some have evolved since the story first broke on Sunday. But it appears the incident began as the victim was driving along Canyada Avenue near Figueroa Drive.

One report by KTLA-5 TV – quoting Lt. Scott Hoglund of the Sheriff’s Department homicide division – said multiple shots were fired at the victim’s vehicle. According to that report, the victim drove about a block and a half before stopping, with a resident attempting to treat him while waiting for first responders. It was not clear if the shooter was driving or on foot.

As deputies were investigating the scene in the 500 block of Figueroa, evidence led them to a house a few blocks away, in the 2300 block of Canyada, where the incident may have begun, Canchola said.

“While the deputies were containing the area, they discovered that there was some possible evidence from where the origin of this shooting occurred, which was about two blocks south of Figueroa, and that would have been the 2300 block of Canyada,’’ Canchola said.

“They identified a location where there were some possible suspects and contained the area. Our Special Weapons Team responded, our homicide (division) responded, and checked the residence for suspects.’’

Canchola said that “at least two people were questioned’’ at the possible origin site, but that no arrests were made.

“There’s a great deal of physical evidence in and around the area which is being investigated now, and there’s also other information that we’re following up on, on various leads,’’ he said.

He added, “We feel that our investigation is pointed in the direction we need it to go in, and there is plenty of evidence that homicide is following up on.’’

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500.

Anyone who might prefer to provide information on the shooting anonymously is asked by the Sheriff’s Department to call the “Crime Stoppers” hotline at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use a smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.