17-Year-Old Killed in Gang Shooting

July 18, 2007

Los Angeles: A 17-year-old juvenile was found shot to death in an alley Tuesday.

On July 17, 2007, at about 7:30 AM, Wilshire Area patrol officers received a call of a man down in an alley to the rear of 5360 West Pico Boulevard. Upon arrival, the officers found the victim behind a storage container in the alley. It appeared the victim had been dead for several hours.

Wilshire Area Homicide Detectives assumed the investigation and are continuing to collect evidence and interview witnesses. Preliminary evidence indicates the cause of death was a gunshot wound.

The victim was identified as Ricardo Cervantes of Los Angeles, a documented local street gang member. It was the second time Cervantes was the target of gang violence. In October 2005 he was shot in the leg by a rival gang. No arrests were made in that incident.

Persons with information regarding this incident should contact Wilshire Area Homicide Detectives at 213-473-0446. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number at 1-877-LAWFULL (529-3855).