Shooting at Party Leaves Man Critical

A shooting at a party in Reseda early Monday left one man critically injured, officials said.

Humberto Hernandez Chavez, 25, was shot by a man accusing Chavez of making advances on his girlfriend, according to police.

The suspect--known to police only as Raymond--fired one shot from a semiautomatic pistol, hitting Chavez in the head, according to Detective David Steinbacher. An ambulance took Chavez to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Steinbacher said.

The shooting occurred shortly after midnight in a house at 18631 Hart St.

“Everybody was drinking and carrying on, and the victim, who had been drinking, made advances,” Steinbacher said. The detective said that according to witnesses, Chavez, a Reseda resident, was not acquainted with the woman.

After the shooting, the suspect and his girlfriend fled the scene in the suspect’s car, either a black Ford Pinto or a Mercury Bobcat hatchback, police said.

When police arrived at the scene at 12:25 a.m., according to Sgt. Roger Ferguson, they were met by the owners of the house who led them to the unconscious Chavez.

Ferguson described the suspect as a 35-year-old man who is clean-shaven, stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. The suspect has also been known to use the alias Cobra, he said, and to frequent the area around Vanowen Street and Etiwanda Avenue.