Los Angeles: On April 5, 2006 at about 7:25 p.m., Carlos Cortez, 18; Marcus King, 16; and a 16-year-old juvenile were in the 11000 block of Peoria Street, Foothill Area, when they saw a light colored SUV. Thinking it belonged to a rival gang, the trio decided to ambush the car and its occupants.
Cortez placed himself on the north side of Peoria Street, while King and the juvenile remained on the south side of the street. As the SUV drove by a second time, Cortez fired several shots at the SUV. Cortez’s shots struck King in the stomach. The SUV sped away.
King died from his wounds at Holy Cross Hospital that same night.
"While homicides were down last year, below 500, and have continued to drop this year, gang homicides remain at 50 to 60 percent of all homicides each year," said Lieutenant Paul Vernon. "We rely a great deal on public tipsters to help us solve gang crimes."
Cortez and the juvenile were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, and may face other charges. A gun was recovered at the scene, and the detectives believe they will be able to connect it to Cortez. Detectives do not know if any shots were fired from the SUV.
Detectives are interested in identifying the light colored SUV and its occupants. Anyone with information is asked to call Foothill Homicide Detectives at 818-834-3115. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).
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