Man Kills Girlfriend, Himself at Apartment

A man fatally shot his girlfriend before taking his own life at the woman’s Canoga Park apartment on Thursday in what police said was an apparent murder-suicide.

The woman, who had four children, was found shot to death in the bedroom of a ground-floor unit in the International Regency apartment complex in the 8600 block of International Avenue, police said.

Two of her children, an infant and a toddler, as well as the victim’s sister were in the home at the time of the shootings, authorities said.

The children will be taken into protective custody by the county Department of Children and Family Services.

The woman’s two older children, whose ages were not released, were not at home at the time of the shootings.

Los Angeles Police Department Robbery-Homicide Division Lt. Carlos Velez said a maintenance worker at the complex had knocked on the woman’s apartment door about 9:30 a.m. and was told to enter.

“The next thing he knows, he hears a gunshot and a man exits the bedroom, enters the living room and shoots himself,” Velez said.

Authorities did not release the names of the woman or the man, who was believed to be her boyfriend.

The woman was described by neighbors as a friendly person who sold Avon products to other apartment residents.

On Wednesday, neighbors said they heard a loud argument in the apartment, but didn’t report the incident because it quickly quieted down.

“[People] always hear firecrackers, gunshots and backfiring cars,” said Sherry Lewis, a resident of the complex. “All the neighbors didn’t think anything of it until the police came.”