Good Samaritan feeding homeless shot dead in Cerritos; 3 suspects sought

CERRITOS, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was fatally shot while feeding the homeless along the San Gabriel Riverbed in Cerritos. Now, six months later, the good Samaritan's wife is still seeking justice.

Gustavo Arteaga, 37, regularly went down to the riverbed near the 91 Freeway and Artesia Boulevard to help feed those living on the streets.

One Friday night last July, Arteaga went to the same area to do his charitable work when he got into an altercation with three men.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department held a press conference on Thursday and released composite sketches of the three suspects - one of whom is responsible for firing the deadly shot that killed Arteaga, detectives said.

The three suspects were near the riverbed looking for someone they had a dispute with earlier in the day. When Arteaga came across the men, he told them that individual was no longer in the area, authorities said.

This sparked a verbal dispute, which escalated when one of the suspects pulled out a gun and fired. Arteaga and another man were shot. That young man survived, but Arteaga died on the way to the hospital.

Arteaga's widow Priscilla Arteaga spoke at the press conference, pleading for anyone with any information to call detectives.

"If anybody knows anything, please help us. You know, my kids, every day they cry for their dad. I hear them talking, and it breaks my heart when I see my kids talking about their dad and there's nothing I can do. I'm mother and father now," she said.

Gustavo Arteaga is survived by his wife and four children. If you have any information about this ongoing investigation, you're urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.