Authorities with the Los Angeles Police Department on Monday released the photos of three men in custody for unrelated cases of attempted murder in hopes additional victims of unreported aggravated assault or attempted murder involving the suspects will come forward.
The first incident occurred Dec. 15, around 9:30 p.m., in a parking lot located in the 3200 block of West Florence Avenue.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Kaleb Cotton, who was armed with a handgun, approached a vehicle with four occupants, two women and two men, and fired multiple rounds into the car, said LAPD. One of the men was hit in the head by gunfire and critically wounded. A female suffered a graze wound to the head and the other male passenger suffered a graze wound to the back.
Detectives said they used surveillance video, which showed the shooting in its entirety, to identify Cotton. He was later arrested in Carson and faces four counts of attempted murder.
The second incident occurred on Feb. 17, around 1:20 p.m., at a cannabis dispensary in the 5000 block of South Hoover Street.
A male victim was attempting to purchase marijuana when he got into an argument with the suspect, later identified as 22-year-old Manuel Camarena, who was an employee at the dispensary. Armed with a handgun, Camarena confronted the man as he was attempting to drive away, firing multiple rounds at him. The victim was struck in the neck, suffered grave injuries and was subsequently left paralyzed, the release noted.
At the scene, detectives recovered multiple 9mm cartridge casings and obtained surveillance footage that showed the shooting in its entirety. The 22-year-old was taken into custody in Carson without incident and faces a count of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by an ex-convict.
The third incident occurred on Feb. 8, around 1:40 p.m., when the victims, two males and a female, were driving northbound on 10th Avenue, toward 69th Street in Hyde Park.
When the victims stopped near the intersection, they were approached by an armed suspect, identified by police as 19-year-old Jashone King, who fired multiple rounds into the vehicle. The female occupant of the car suffered a gunshot wound to the head. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later determined to be paralyzed, police said.
Investigators again obtained surveillance footage that showed the shooting in its entirety. King was arrested and faces three counts of attempted murder.
While the cases are unrelated, authorities believe there may be additional victims of the three suspects.
Anyone with information regarding the investigations is asked to contact LAPD at 213-972-2971 or 877-527-3247. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or online at L.A. Crime Stoppers.
