Round 1:30 a.m. on a Saturday final month, two masked males approached a black Cadillac Escalade idling outdoors a Northridge residence constructing.
One held a shotgun, the opposite a handgun. A surveillance system captured the sounds of what occurred subsequent: A gang problem, confusion, a requirement for property.
Then six pictures and sounds of the Escalade rushing off.
Within the passenger seat was Maria De La Rosa, 22, with a gunshot wound to the chest. A musician who carried out as DELAROSA, she had a rising following on the time of her loss of life on Nov. 22.
Authorities mentioned De La Rosa was killed throughout a theft however revealed little else concerning the case. The Occasions lately reviewed a search warrant affidavit written by the Los Angeles Police Division detective who investigated the murder. In line with the doc, De La Rosa was arrange by her buddies — two of three individuals now charged together with her homicide.
Arrested the day after the murder, Francisco “G Boy” Gaytan instructed police he’d recognized De La Rosa since they had been youngsters, Det. Siranush Simonyan wrote within the affidavit.
Gaytan mentioned his pal, Benny “Participant” Gomez, made plans to satisfy De La Rosa on Bryant Road for a “drug purchase,” however the plan was to rob the musician, the affidavit mentioned.
Gaytan, Gomez and the 2 alleged gunmen are from Bryant Road, a gang in Northridge, based on the affidavit.
Gaytan claimed he took no half within the theft, however after he consented to a search of his cellphone, Simonyan mentioned she discovered textual content messages despatched to one of many alleged gunmen, Eduardo “Lively” Lopez.
“Go get ski masks,” Gaytan allegedly instructed Lopez 5 hours earlier than De La Rosa was killed.
Gaytan’s lawyer didn’t return a request for remark.
Gomez was interviewed the day after Gaytan spoke to police, Simonyan wrote. He too mentioned he was “childhood buddies” with De La Rosa.
Gomez instructed detectives he met up with De La Rosa after going to a membership. He was speaking together with her outdoors Gaytan’s residence constructing when two masked males walked up and opened hearth. He ducked and ran, he mentioned, and solely discovered that De La Rosa had been killed when her mom known as him.
Gomez insisted he had nothing to do with the capturing. His lawyer didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Gomez’s account was belied by surveillance video, Simonyan wrote. Cameras fastened to a close-by residence constructing confirmed Gomez talking with Lopez and the second suspected gunman minutes earlier than De La Rosa arrived.
In line with the affidavit, Gomez shook their arms and made a Bryant Road hand signal earlier than gesturing for them to stroll down an alley, Simonyan wrote.
De La Rosa known as Gomez as he walked to greet her, the detective wrote. In the meantime, the 2 alleged gunmen approached the Escalade from the alley, pulling a shotgun and handgun from their pants.
“That is Bryant gang, n—,” one mentioned, based on the affidavit.
After De La Rosa was shot and the Escalade sped away, a voice — Gomez’s, detectives suspect — could be heard in surveillance video asking, “Why’d you shoot them, idiot?”
After stashing their weapons in a Chevrolet Astro van, Lopez and his confederate obtained into Gaytan’s BMW 328i, Simonyan wrote. As he stepped into the sedan, the detective wrote, Lopez dropped a key piece of proof — a courtroom doc together with his identify and case quantity.
Gaytan appeared to argue with the alleged shooters contained in the automotive, the detective wrote. When he opened his door, surveillance cameras captured him saying, “Get out of right here.”
“You fools are dumb,” Gaytan mentioned. In line with the affidavit, he may he heard saying what seemed like, “What you fools did — I instructed you what to make it appear to be.”
The alleged shooters obtained out of Gaytan’s automotive and sped off in a Honda Civic, presumably to Mexico, Simonyan wrote. About 13 hours after De La Rosa died, Gomez allegedly wrote in a textual content to Gaytan: “We good they left to tj.”
Gaytan and Gomez have but to enter pleas to prices of homicide and tried theft. Prosecutors additionally introduced prices towards Lopez, however it’s unclear if he’s in custody. Authorities haven’t mentioned if the second alleged gunman is charged with De La Rosa’s homicide, and his whereabouts are unclear.
