Alleged gang associate charged in fatal baby shooting in San Fernando Valley

Prosecutors charged an alleged Blythe Street gang associate today with the killing of a 4-month-old boy shot when gang members opened fire in Van Nuys on a group they believed were rivals from another gang.

Alfonzo Landa, 17, was charged with murder, six felony counts of attempted murder and attempted carjacking for his alleged role in the slaying of Andrew Garcia, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the L.A. County District Attorney's office. A second suspect continues to be the target of a Los Angeles Police Department manhunt in a slaying Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called "an obscene and unspeakable tragedy."

Landa was arrested early Thursday and charged as an adult. He is due to be arraigned today in Van Nuys and is being held in lieu of $9 million bail, Robison said.

Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation said they have physical evidence that will help tie Landa to the shotgun shooting on Kittredge Street in Van Nuys. They say Landa is allegedly a Blythe Street gang associate.

Andrew Garcia is the latest victim in a long-running feud between the Blythe Street gang and the Barrio Van Nuys gang that has claimed many lives over the years and left dozens of others bearing the scars of a violent rivalry whose victims are often innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.

The boy's family was preparing to drive home from a friend's baptismal celebration Sept. 27 when the shooting occurred. Andrew's parents, Marlene Ramirez and Frank Garcia, attended the baptismal party at the Bernardi Multipurpose Center on Tyrone Avenue. After leaving about midnight, they agreed to drop off Anna Contreras, 28, a friend who lived nearby, before driving to their North Hollywood home. Garcia got out of the car and was chatting with friends when two men approached them on foot and a confrontation took place, she said.

The mother of one of the men talking with Garcia said her son told her the assailants demanded to know where they were from. Her son responded, "Barrio Van Nuys," and the two men fired at them, said the mother, Maria Ramirez. Police said her son, Eric Ramirez, is a known gang member and that Andrew's father has had "minor" associations with gangs. Family members denied that either was affiliated with gangs.

Police said the suspects fired six rounds from a shotgun, striking Contreras and baby Andrew in the head. They also hit Eric Ramirez, 18, who was standing outside the car with Garcia. Andrew's mother, Marlene Ramirez, who was in the car with Contreras, was not injured.

Andrew was airlifted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. Munoz said doctors were initially upbeat about his condition, but at about 4 a.m. informed the family he had died. Contreras, who is pregnant, underwent surgery at a hospital, said LAPD Det. Robert Bub.

After the shooting, Marlene Ramirez ran down the street with Andrew in her arms, looking for help, her cousin said. A neighbor persuaded her to sit on the grass and wait for an ambulance. The gritty neighborhood is comprised of modest homes and apartments, just blocks from the Van Nuys Police Station and civic buildings, including the Van Nuys Courthouse. Neighbors said they're used to police helicopters and sirens, but that shootings on the block are rare.

Violent crime has generally declined in Van Nuys over the last two years, LAPD records show. Homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults fell 25% between 2007 and the year to date.

Gang-related crime also has fallen, said LAPD Deputy Chief Michel Moore. In 2002, there were 49 victims of gang violence compared with 18 for the year to date, Moore said. But police cautioned that spikes in gang-related shootings occur despite strides in reducing crime.

-- Richard Winton

More breaking news at L.A. Times:

Naturalists prepare for mudslides at Glendale's Deukmejian Park

Sheltering L.A. County's homeless could save taxpayer money, study finds

UCLA student charged with premeditated attempted murder in stabbing, slashing attack [Updated]

Duvall reports dinner tabs paid by lobbyists, but none by woman he bragged about

Central Valley Marine died last week in Afghanistan

Interactive map: Los Angeles-area neighborhoods at risk for mudslides

Cedars-Sinai says error led to radiation overdoses on stroke patients [Updated]

Retired deputy fatally shoots purse-snatching supect in La Habra

Residents in fire-charred areas urged to pick up sandbags at county fire stations

Anna Nicole Smith drug case goes to court

Comments

[donalds]

Gang Recruiters are Stalkers! Gang members frequently stalk each other and innocent people get caught in the crossfire. We need to increase Stalking Legislation. Call or write your Representatives!

[West Valley Dave]

And what does the Alcalde, Greasy Tony, El Mayor La Raza have to say about this? Oh, that's right. There aren't any cameras so he won't be gracing us with any comments. Funny that we don't hear the Alcalde talk about gangs unless he's writing a taxpayer funded check to them for extortion, errrr, gang prevention programs.

[andreaU8]

"Family members denied that either was affiliated with gangs."

Of course they did! They cannot face the fact that they are also partly responsible for the baby's death.

[jONNY rEb]

How about charging the idiot who yelled out "Barrio Van Nuys" as an accessory to murder? He should've bit the dust, not the baby.

[Fred]

We have stalking laws that target stalkers and they are quite effective against stalkers. Stalking laws will not aid in abating gang activity.
We already have laws against gang activity and enhancements that are added to any crime committed while associating with or acting as part of a gang.
What we really need are ways to reach children before they become part of gangs. Think about this very carefully. If we fail in this area, there will always be recruits to fill in for the gang members who are taken off the streets.

[Ugo]

The father had "minor" gang ties? And the son was a known gang affiliate?

Shocking that this happened...flabbergasted that a gang family would end up getting shot. Who would ever guess?

That family needs to be tried as accomplises in the murder, as they put their son in a position to be killed, without him having any say.

[frieda406]

what a horrifying tragedy.

[Chandler Hill]

"Call or write your Representatives!" Are you joking? Are you naive? Give the cops the power to deal with these thugs the way they should be dealt with.

[2 cents]

oh, those colorful folks from "South of the border, down Mexico way" - don't they enrich the beautiful tapestry that is America in such wonderful ways - not to mention all those economic benefits they bring to the table!

[David]

Gangs must be hammer once and for all. First, all law enforcement agencies must work together and deport all illegals, especially those that are criminals. Second, the families of minors who are gang members convicted must be held accountable also. We got to put a stop to this madness. This time it was this baby, next time it could be your child. No mercy for gangs...it should be open season for all of them.

[AnnNonny]

Gang associate? What the hell is that? WalMart has associates. Target has associates. Macy's has associates. Do gangs have meet and greet people at their front doors or cross streets to the hood or varrio? Bienvenidos to Homie-Ville, Thanks for shooting up Homie-Ville, please come again... WTF?

[tom]

Execute him

[Joemamabush]

Another failed life. The police can not stop it. Parents of that dead baby can not stop it. The baby can not defend one self. The day mothers dressing junior in kevlar vests have arrived. Bummer, the police do not want citizens to own them vests. I think we as citizens have truly lost freedom. The father of the dead baby would go to jail if he shot the punk baby killer. I think it is time these punks get shut down on blyth. The police know the players but. With police protecting their pensions. I feel citizens will continue to get more of the same. More dead babies.

[elvisnixon.com]

ILLEGAL ALIEN gang banger should NEVER have been in the USA in the first place. If we deport everyone with a PIOLIN bumper sticker our environment will improve, our crime will drop and the collective IQ will rise!

As elvisnixon.com said so called "sanctuary city" policies of Villaraigoso and Obama are responsible