Father of 3 fatally shot in apparent road-rage attack in Panorama City

PANORAMA CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 24-year-old father of three was fatally shot in what authorities believe was a road-rage attack on the same block where his family lives in Panorama City.

Police received a report about a shooting at Willis Avenue and Roscoe Boulevard around 11:35 p.m. Sunday. Responding officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds.

The victim, later identified by the coroner as 24-year-old Jesus Alejandro Benitez-Jaimez of Panorama City, was pronounced dead at the scene. Friends and family say he has three young children - two of whom live in an apartment complex just feet away from where the shooting happened.

According to authorities, the preliminary evidence shows that the shooting may have stemmed from a road-rage incident, during which Benitez-Jaimez exited his black Mercedez-Benz and approached another vehicle.

Benitez-Jaimez was shot while standing next to the driver's door of that second vehicle, while the suspect remained in the car, authorities said.

Area resident Daniel Sevillano said he heard the gunshots and saw the immediate aftermath.

"By the time I looked at the window, the car in front of him already had gone, and the black Mercedes was there," Sevillano described. "I guess the driver was trying to maintain himself stable, but a little bit later, he collapsed."

Police do not have a description of the suspect's vehicle, but they believe its driver's side window was shattered by gunfire.

Detectives are seeking the public's help to track down the suspect. If you have any information about this incident, you're urged to contact Homicide Detective Gutierrez at (818)974-1923 or (877)LAPD-24-7. You can submit anonymous tips by contacting Crime Stoppers at (800)222-TIPS.