Victor Baltazar, 27

Victor Baltazar, 27, a Latino man, was shot in the chest at about 3 a.m. at the 5600 block of Cleon Avenue in North Hollywood Saturday, Feb. 23. According to police, Baltazar was talking with relatives outside of a home when he was allegedly confronted by Victor Santiago Sencion, 22., who challenged him to a fight. Sencion then pulled out a handgun and shot Baltazar. He was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:44 a.m. that same day. According to initial reports, Sencion was stabbed by several people at the home as they struggled to subdue him, but police could not confirm. Sencion was hospitalized and was under police custody.

Comments

[Ashley]

Victor Hugo Baltazar, I miss you!!!! You should not have left, you should have come back and gone to the movies, you should have used the tickets that you bought. Your wife, you little five-year-old son, your mother, your father, your brothers and sisters, and I, we all love you and really miss you. Thank you for always making me laugh and making my cousin's life wonderful. R.I.P.

Others should learn from this out of a stupid choice two famililies are devastated. STOP GANG VIOLENCE!!!

[anonymous]

Santiago,

hang in there!!!

[A friend]

My prayers are with the victims family. Nontheless, HANG IN THERE SANTIAGO!! We are praying for you too!!

[Nead One]

One person was shoot and killed but yet the shooter was stabbed several time by a number of people? Some one hard to belive

[maria vega]

I personally know Santiago; I am sadden by what he has done because he is a good hearted person who made a stupid decision not realizing the damage that would be done to the victims family, his family and his future. I will always thank him for taking the time to come and visit my disabled father and brighten his day with his heartfelt stories about horses. My heart goes out to the surviving families that will endure with the pain of losing their children. May this situation bring awareness to those of us that have children and that are trying to raise them in a violent society. "Santiago I wish you could have made better choices in life" I have you in my prayers:)

[Ms. Rosie Felix]

I know the family well, and just wish these kids could actually see, and feel the grief they are placing their parents through.

Thank you for writing the story, and bringing light to others kids to see that this is real, and that what happened to Victor Baltazar is not seldom nor "Cool"

He is survived by a brothers and sisters, and 2 heart broken parents, who are still trying to make sense of this, I will be speaking to them, and try to bring out something good out of something tragic and sad.

[Confused]

This is one way to get out of premeditated murder, always ask somewthing, either challeneg to a fight or ask 'Where you from..." this way it's harder to prove that you really meant to kill the person in the first place.

Anyone elese notice the trend here?