Body of college basketball player found in Mercedes in Monterey Park

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- The body of a basketball player with East Los Angeles College was found in the back of a Mercedes-Benz early Thursday morning in Monterey Park, sheriff's deputies said.

The Monterey Park Police Department was called early Thursday for a report of a gunshot heard in the 800 block of W. El Repetto Drive.

Officers found an unresponsive man in the back seat of a Mercedes Benz sedan, which was locked with its lights on. When county paramedics responded, they determined the man had been shot in the upper torso.

The victim was later identified as Saieed Ivey, a college basketball player from the Chicago area who moved to Los Angeles within the last year.

Ivey's mother and grandfather flew to Los Angeles from Chicago Thursday.

Chareda Carter said she was just looking to find out what happened to her son.

"I'm confused," Carter told Eyewitness News. "I just want to know the truth about what happened to my son. And I just know he didn't deserve (this). I just want to know who shot my son."

Ivey had played for Governors State University, located just south of Chicago. Coach Anthony Bates said Ivey played in the 2014-15 season then moved to Los Angeles to attend a larger community college.

A spokesperson for the school said Ivey was well liked on campus and was an honor-roll student.

Ivey is listed on the East Los Angeles College website as a freshman guard on the Huskies basketball team.

Lt. Eddie Hernandez with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau said Ivey earlier had been out with some friends and his brother in the Los Angeles area celebrating his 20th birthday.

Afterward they returned to the apartment he shares with his brother to continue celebrating with other people. Sometime after they got back, Ivey told others he was going to go outside to sit in a car that belongs to someone with his group.

Sometime after that, a neighbor called police with a report of hearing a gunshot.

Hernandez said there was some arguing and yelling heard at the time, but it wasn't clear if it was prior to the shooting or after he was discovered.

The sheriff's department asked anyone with information to contact the Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or online at lacrimestoppers.org.