Azusa shooting: Victim identified by family as 16-year-old as residents express safety concerns

AZUSA, Calif. (KABC) -- A teenager who was shot and killed in Azusa was identified by family members as a 16-year-old, and residents in the area are concerned following two violent murders in recent days.

The most recent shooting, which left that teen dead, happened Tuesday afternoon near Donna Beth Avenue and Renwick Road.

"People die out here, you know? Gangs are kind of alive... You see it in the tagging. It's rough," said resident Andres Almazan.

The mother of the victim didn't want to speak on camera, but says her son, Alexander Padilla, was fatally shot. She added he was not a gang member.

Investigators have not officially released the victim's identity. Another person was shot in the chest but is in stable condition.

Neighbors told Eyewitness News the other person shot was the victim's brother, and they were going to visit their grandmother at an apartment complex. He is recovering in the hospital, according to his mother.

A neighbor claimed her mother witnessed the shooting and said both brothers were confronted by gang members who asked the siblings who they were affiliated with. The brothers said they weren't affiliated with any gangs.

Friends and family members say the brothers were not gang members.

"These children are from nowhere. They're just trying to be good kids," said neighbor Carla Zamarripa, who knew the victim. "They were probably going to the store to get dinner for their grandma."

Heartbroken neighbors describe Alexander as a loving person who would put others before himself.

"He made everybody laugh. He was a good kid," family friend Antoinette Moore said.

"He came into my job one time and helped me out. He wanted to make extra money for his mom's birthday," Zamarripa said. "He just has a heart of gold."

In a different incident on Monday, authorities say a man was shot while driving then crashed into a pick-up truck. The car was going about 50 miles per hour when it slammed into the parked vehicle.

A man died Monday after he was shot and then crashed into a parked pickup truck in a residential neighborhood in Azusa, authorities say.

"I just heard a really loud crash. That was too loud. I went out front and saw what I saw, and saw the car on fire. My neighbor helped put it out," said Russell Wall.

The victim, between 18 and 25 years old, died at the hospital. Nobody else was hurt.

Los Angeles County investigators still have a number of questions to answer, including what led up to the shootings, who was involved - and whether the two cases are potentially related.

A GoFundMe page has been established to help the victims' family.

-----

¿Quieres leer este artículo en español? Haz clic aquí