A 19-year-old Was Tragically Shot Near His Los Angeles Home After Dropping Off His Sister at Work, According to Family Members
Los Angeles — The bereaved family of a man who was fatally shot in Boyle Heights earlier this week has identified the victim as a teenager heading home from dropping off his sister for work.
A Los Angeles Police Department official informed KTLA that the incident took place around midnight on Wednesday in the 500 block of South Grande Vista Avenue near Lanfranco Street.
When authorities got on the scene, they discovered a man inside a Kia Soul with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Police did not publicize the victim’s name, but his relatives identified him as 19-year-old Jason Alexander Ramirez.
Jason’s brother Angel informed KTLA that he was returning from dropping off his sister at work and was only a few houses away from his own home when he was shot.
According to Angel, witness testimonies and security footage show that four young male suspects were “lurking” around Jason’s home when he arrived.
“The alleged suspects were looking for a rival gang member and when they came across Jason, they mistook him as a member and plotted to take his life,” Angel told the reporter. “One of the four suspects walked into the street and acted as if in distress to lure Jason to stop his vehicle, while the other three suspects hid behind cars.”
“When Jason least expected it, while helpless and indefensible, he was ambushed in cold blood,” he added, underlining that he and others close to the family believe the tragedy was part of a gang initiation procedure involving someone who happened to be in the wrong location at the wrong time.
The Los Angeles Police Department apprehended one suspect, but the other three remained at large as of Sunday afternoon. Officers are still investigating, but Angel is hoping that someone with information would come forward and assist his grieving family achieve justice.
“While trying to help someone who he thought was in need, he was unfairly attacked,” Angel told me. “Jason truly was a prime example of how one should love his fellow man.”
“His actions that night showed the love in his heart, and he will be remembered for an eternity,” she said.
Anyone with information about the deadly shooting of Jason Alexander Ramirez should contact the Los Angeles Police Department.