15-year-old fatally shot during theft of his bicycle; gunfire wounds girl standing nearby [Updated]

Homicide detectives are searching for two men who stole a bicycle from a 15-year-old boy in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood, then fatally shot him and wounded an 11-year-old girl.

Miguel Machuca of Los Angeles was riding his bike with a friend on North Mission Road near North Broadway about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday when he was approached by two men, according to Los Angeles Police Sgt. Kristin Hagerty and a Los Angeles County coroner’s investigator.

After demanding the boys’ bikes, one of the men opened fire and shot Machuca in the chest, Hagerty said. The gunfire also struck the back of a girl standing nearby.

The two victims were taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Machuca was pronounced dead at the hospital; the girl, whose name was not given, was in stable condition.

[Updated at 12:40 p.m.: Since January 2007, at least five homicides have taken place within a mile of Saturday's fatal shooting, according to data collected for The Times' interactive Homicide Report.]

-- Corina Knoll

Comments

[Loves L.A.]

Too bad we have to share the streets with cowardly losers for whom life means nothing. God bless the victims: They deserved better. May the shooter experience the same level of mercy he dealt out.

[Dee]

My son is 15 and last weekend he and his friends rode to downtown L.A. and back to the Westside. I was very worried about accidents with cars, dehydration, etc. but never would it occur to me that grown men might approach these boys and kill them for their bikes! I am astounded, I am angry because it could have been any of these boys. What is happening to their freedom to be kids enjoying good clean fun? What happened to the country I grew up in where adults cared about kids, all kids, because they are our future and they are innocent and it is the right thing to do. Now we have thousands of "orphans" in foster homes whose parents are alive but unwilling or unable to care for them. We have thousands of seemingly "respectable" adults molesting kids and dealing in child pornography and now we have adults killing kids for their bikes. A nation that loses it's love for it's children is a nation that is losing it's future.

[appalled]

Dear Jay,

Nothing in this article indicates that this poor child was an illegal immigrant or born from illegal immigrant parents. Nor does it indicate that his shooter(s) were illegal or born from illegal immigrant parents. You are nothing but a racist bigot. Perhaps society would be better if we deported you.

[Alex]

I can't believe it, I knew this kid while growing up but I never imagined this would happen to him. I couldn't believe it when i heard it from a friend but now that I see this article, i'm at a loss for words...I never thought this would ever happen to any of my younger friends but I guess I was wrong...

[Brian]

As rikinla pointed out..it starts at home and neither the school nor the system can be blamed but only the parents.

[Jacqueline S.]

This is very tragic indeed. A 15 yr. old child, or anyone for that matter, should be free to ride his/her bike around the neighborhood without events such as these. Those of us that actually live in Lincoln Heights should get more involved in our community. I feel embarassed and ashamed that there's lots of intelligent, educated, intrinistically good people in Lincoln Heights, yet most of us blame our busy schedules and choose not to involve ourselves with taking our community back from idiots such as these!

[Richard]

These are desperate times and the rats will feed on whatever looks like a free meal. Poor kid, sad. It's best we all watch our backs. Thieves in the streets and in high rise corporate offices. As the depression gets worse just expect that there will be our fair share of criminals just waiting to grab what they can heist from you..

[annonymous]

What is this world coming to when we can't even allow our children to ride their bikes? People critisize for having kids indoors instead of outside. And these are the reasons I keep my 15 year old at home....where I know he is safe.

[Marino]

"Since January 2007, at least five homicides have taken place within a mile."

How many of them have been solved by the LAPD?
How many LAPD officers grew up or live in that neighborhood?

[Carlos Morales]

The victim Miguel Machuca was a gang member from the Ramona Gardens projects. Apparently the victims brother was "jumped" by Lincoln Heights area gang members and Miguel rode his bike over there to clear things up.

On Sunday, friends of the victim held a car wash to raise funds to bury Machuca and the walls all over the projects were "tagged" with "RIP SILENT" the gang moniker for Machuca.

It is very unfortunate that these young men do not see the bigger picture that they are fighting over turf that does not belong to them.

[Will]

I know the older borther of the 15 year old. It's sad to hear when a friend is in pain of such a loss. My prayers go out to him and his family. There will be a car wash in memory of Miguel near his place of residence.

[A Winter's Tale]

The post by Carlos Morales put things into perspective, and helps to tone down the fear over how random the crime intially appeared. While we sympathize with the family, and are shocked by the blighted nature of the area as described by those still connected to it (Mercedes), we ultimately hope this type of crime does not come to our locale, especially here in downtown Los Angeles.

This is a legitimate hope, as here, especially, we have seen the gentrification (by definition, "restoration of deteriorated urban property...") in large parts, through the influx of new denizens, occupying new or remodeled dwellings, supported by fresh and creative eateries.

Plus, this is where I ride my bike.

I invite Mercedes, and other nice posters to check out downtown. It seems like a new restaurant is popping up monthly. Hot spots are 7th street between Broadway and Figueroa, on Hope traveling south from 3rd, and the new, LA Live.

Live.

[Scat]

I love LA !! It's suce a nice peaceful place to raise a young family.

I think I'll enjoy watching beautiful sunsets thru the brown skies. What is that stuff in the air? I have trouble breathing sometimes.

Is that fireworks going off that I hear every night? Who said gun shots?

I just love LA. Maybe I can get a job as a gang counsellor.

[manuelito]

renek i miss you cusin love yuhh wish you were here with us henry jessue and all the family loves yuhh we cryed alot when they called us saying you were dead miss you cusin it was almost yurr birthday cusin i love yuhh dont trip the police well find who did this love you renek

9-28-1994 - 8-28-2010

[xela6]

I am part of the East LA cycling community; my thought and prayers go out to the families of those kids. I and many others are spreading the word, let us hope that these cowards meet swift justice. Spread the word now Los Angeles! Before their trail runs cold.

On a side note: Wow way to speculate there Jay! Your ignorant mind has some how turned a violent crime involving two innocent kids into an immigration issue...that's one hell of a stretch given the facts presented...Bravo Holmes!

[Jackie]

Such a sad and disturbing story. Condolences to Miguel's family. What kind of ruthless animal kills a child over a bike?!? Heartbreaking.

rikinla had it right on the money....everything starts at home.

[brandon dee]

seriously- if anyone reading this needs a bike that damn bad, give me your gun and i'll give you a bike. guns for bikes. i live in the country where guns are more of a tool than a crime waiting to happen. that story is just too sad. i've got a garage full of bikes.
-brandon at 1lesscar dotcom

[Anonymous]

Wow. I think what the media left out was that Miquel is a gangster, who was in the wrong hood likely looking for a gangster from that hood. He is not innocent in all of this, and he wasn't some "victim" shot in the back as he tried to run. The only victim here is the 11 year old girl that was truly innocent.

[syscom3]

Over in the homicide blog, its been pretty much established that the deceased was indeed a gangster and he was out looking for trouble.

Someone also claiming to be his mom mentioned that the gunman also took his shoes. Now that's a low for even the barbarians who claim to be gangsters.

[syscom3]

Over in the homicide blog, its been pretty much established that the deceased was indeed a gangster and he was out looking for trouble.

Someone also claiming to be his mom mentioned that the gunman also took his shoes. Now that's a low for even the barbarians who claim to be gangsters.

[Gernt]

Los Angeles Biker's safety is obviously at an all time low. There's a story every other week of bikers being victims in hit and runs or being victims of bike theft. With the streets of LA being as unsafe as they are, you'd think, "Why are people riding their bikes anyways?".

A lot of us can't afford cars, and it's either relying on the Metro or getting ourselves to the places we need to go, and for a lot of us, we rely on our bikes for that. There are people are there who still think that us bikers don't deserve a spot on the road. Even with the bad conditions of biking on Los Angeles streets, it's better than pushing all of the local commuters onto the sidewalk, where collisions are more likely to happen.

People need to watch out for their fellow man, whether they drive a car, ride a bike, or even walk.