Man Shot to Death in Apparent Gang Fight

SYLMAR —  A 20-year-old man was shot to death, the apparent victim of a gang-related fight, authorities said Thursday.

The victim, whose identity was being sought by police, was involved in a fistfight Wednesday in the 13100 block of De Garmo Avenue, said Lt. Steven Allen of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division.

The victim was shot several times, police said. He apparently ran to a nearby residence in the 14800 block of El Casco Street, where officers found his body in a driveway. LAPD Det. Frank Bishop said that based on the victim’s tattoos, he is probably a member of a downtown Los Angeles gang.

Allen said police are unsure of the motive, though he noted that two gangs in the area have been at odds recently. He also said the killing could be retaliation for the beating death of a 22-year-old Arleta man on Laurel Canyon Boulevard on Oct. 26, which police say may have stemmed from a lovers’ triangle involving members of separate gangs.

Allen said the shots were probably fired from a car. Witnesses are asked to call police at (818) 834-3115.