Los Angeles police detectives on Monday searched for three gunmen who opened fire in a bustling shopping district near MacArthur Park over the weekend, critically wounding an outdoor vendor and killing a 23-day-old baby being pushed in a stroller by his mother.
The slaying has left residents shaken in the Westlake district, about two miles west of downtown, a dense collection of apartments housing mostly Mexican and Central American immigrants. The area has long struggled with gang violence, and police are investigating whether the suspects are gang members.
The infant, Luis Angel Garcia, was hit by a stray bullet about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, as his mother and hundreds of other shoppers strolled amid the stores and outdoor vendors near the corner of 6th Street and Burlington Avenue, police said.
The gunmen appeared to be targeting vendor Francisco Clemente, 37, who was hit in the chest by several bullets. He was taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Police said they didn't have a motive for the killing, but some residents in the area said they feared it was retaliation after the vendor didn't pay "rent" to a gang.
City officials held a news conference Monday seeking the public's help and describing the shooting as "heinous," "terrible," and "horrific." Councilman Ed Reyes, who represents the area, announced a $75,000 reward for information leading to arrests of those involved, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he promised the infant's mother that "detectives were working around the clock" to solve the case.
"The cold-blooded murder of a tiny infant is just something this city cannot tolerate," Villaraigosa said. He said he met with the infant's mother and "held her hand. She was in terrible pain," he said.
Police believe 50 to 100 people witnessed the shooting and might have vital information. The area around 6th and Burlington is heavily trafficked by pedestrians and brims with small markets and mostly Latino vendors.
Christina Cruz, owner of Descuentos Chris, a small general store across the street from where the man and infant were shot, said the area always has lots of families, and during the weekend it bustles with activity.
But she said trouble was often right around the corner.
