NORTH HILLS (CNS) — Police continue to seek the public’s help to help track down whoever shot and killed two men in separate crimes about an hour apart in North Hills.
The shootings took place on May 14, the first one at about 3:10 a.m. in the 8500 block of Langdon Street, and the second shooting occurring about 4 a.m. in the 15500 block of Nordhoff Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
No arrests have been reported, and it was unclear if the crimes were related, police said.
In the first case, officers responded to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon and found the victim — identified by the coroner’s office as Samuel Cuevas, 46, of Arleta — on the front porch of a home, police said.
Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police said he was walking east on Chase Street from Orion Avenue when he passed a group of people who were drinking in front of an apartment complex
on the south side of Chase Street.
“The group exchanged words with the victim, then chased (him) eastward on Chase Street and north on Langdon Avenue,” according to police. “The suspects caught up with the victim in a private driveway, where one of the suspects fatally shot (him).”
The suspects, four men in their early 20s and a female, fled west on Chase Street and were last seen entering a black Lincoln Town Car.
About 4 a.m., a fatal drive-by shooting occurred just four blocks away in the 15500 block of Nordhoff Street. In that case, the driver of a dark four-door vehicle going eastbound on Nordhoff Street slowed nearly to a stop and fired two shots toward two people walking home from a local store, police said.
Jose Zeron, 37, was struck and died at a hospital.
Anyone with information about either killing is urged to call Detective John Doerbecker of the LAPD’s Valley Homicide Bureau at (818) 374-1941.
Tipsters can call (877) LAPD-24-7 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS. All tips can be submitted anonymously.