Gang Related Shooting Leaves One Homicide Victim

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Sunday, December 17, 2000

"Gang Related Shooting Leaves One Homicide Victim"

Los Angeles- On Saturday, December 16, 2000, at approximately 2:20 P.M., the victim and three other occupants of a white, four door Toyota Corolla, were traveling westbound on Country Club Drive, approaching Manhattan Place. At that time a late model compact car, occupied by two suspects, paralleled the victim’s vehicle and the passenger suspect opened fire from a semi-automatic handgun into the victim’s vehicle. The suspects sped away from the location immediately following the attack.

One of the rounds fired by the suspect critically injured the front passenger victim. The driver of the victim’s vehicle drove to a gas station at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Gramercy Place, where he left the passengers and the critically injured victim in the parking lot before driving away. The gas station attendant called the police and paramedics. LAFD Paramedics responded and pronounced the victim dead at 2:34 p.m.

The victim has been identified as Gilberto Hernandez, 21 years old.

The suspects are described as:

Suspect 1, male Hispanic, approximately 20 years of age, with a shaved head, and light complexion.
Suspect 2, male Hispanic.

The motive for this murder is gang related.

Detectives from Wilshire Area Operations Support Division are conducting the investigation. Anyone with information that may assist in this investigation is urged to contact Detectives Frank Bolan or Jose Chavez at 213-473-0444.

This information was provided by Detective M. Smith.

This Press Release was prepared by Officer Eduardo Funes, Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.

For Release 5:00 pm PST
December 17, 2000