Community members protest El Sereno officer-involved shooting that left 22-year-old dead

BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Family, friends and concerned residents demanded justice for Christian Escobedo, who was shot and killed by police in El Sereno last month.

Dozens of people were in front of the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollenbeck Station in Boyle Heights Saturday afternoon.

Escobedo, 22, was shot and killed in an officer-involved shooting in El Sereno on Jan. 14. Authorities had responded to reports of two men - one armed with a gun. Earlier calls also reported that the two men were sleeping behind a vehicle near Topaz Street and Huntington Drive.

When officers arrived, they encountered Escobedo and opened fire, killing him. The second person fled from the scene. Authorities said a handgun was recovered.

Protesters said the incident is a concerning trend of excessive force for this particular LAPD station.

"We've been going to D.A. Jackie Lacey's office every single week. Every week we've been demanding for answers and for D.A. Jackie to hold these cops involved accountable for what they've done," one protester said.

Organizers said there were eight young Latino men killed within the last 23 months by officers at the Hollenbeck station.

People familiar with the incident said that Escobedo was sleeping behind the vehicle with a friend and taking a break from a walk home. They said he was shot in the head four times.

What prompted the officer-involved shooting remains unclear.

Centro CSO members said the friend who fled the scene has been in touch with Escobedo's family attorney, who is investigating the death.

Authorities have been looking for that friend, but it's unclear if he contacted any detectives.

Escobedo's family was also in attendance for the protest. They said the 22-year-old had no criminal history and was a working man who was "very kind to others."