Three people were arrested in connection to the attempted murder of a homeless man on the Venice Beach Boardwalk late last month, followed by an allegedly intentional vehicle fire, officials said Friday.
Around 4:30 a.m. on April 28, a shooting took place near the 600 block of Ocean Front Walk, according to a news release from the Los Angeles Police Department.
The shooter approached the victim, identified only as a homeless man, aimed a a semi-automatic handgun at him and shot three times, LAPD said. As the victim crawled away, the suspect shot at him a fourth time.
Then the shooter and two people described as female accomplices entered a 2020 Jeep Compass and fled southbound on Speedway Avenue.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
About 15 minutes later, local residents called 911 to report a vehicle fire in a rear alley near the 1200 block of Palms Avenue. The Los Angeles City Fire Department responded to the scene and found a 2020 Jeep Compass fully engulfed in flames.
The suspects involved the shooting were allegedly seen fleeing from the fire, police said.
Detectives sought the assistance of LAFD arson investigators, who then determined that the Jeep Compass was intentionally set on fire.
Investigators then identified the suspects in the shooting as Nichalous Reynolds, a 33-year-old of Los Angeles, Blanca Marcela Lopez, a 31-year-old of Inglewood, and Amber Manchel, a 27-year-old of Los Angeles.
On May 17 and 18, investigators arrested Manchel in Venice, and Reynolds and Lopez in Inglewood.
During Reynolds’ arrest, detectives discovered a rifle, ammunition and “other evidence,” LAPD said.
Detectives said they believe the shooting was gang related.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Reynolds with one count each of attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, arson, ignition of a destructive device, and driving without the owner’s consent.
Lopez and Manchel were each charged with one count of accessory to attempted murder.