2 Arrested in Shooting of 3 on Mt. Washington

Three Mt. Washington residents were shot and wounded after they confronted suspected gang members who were painting graffiti on a wall across from their residence, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.

Two teen-agers were arrested a short time later on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and a third is being sought, police said.

The incident began about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when residents in the 400 block of Isabel Street confronted three young men as they attempted to paint graffiti on the wall.

Police Detective Joe Friend of the Northeast Division’s gang unit said the suspects left, but returned shortly afterward and resumed painting on the wall. Another confrontation occurred and the suspects fired a shotgun and a rifle at the residents as they stood inside their doorway.

One of the victims, Manuel Flores, 20, was hit in the abdomen by shotgun pellets and was in stable condition at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Irma Alvarez, 15, and Rito Cardenas, 20, were treated for shotgun wounds and released.

Police arrested the two youths half an hour after the shooting when residents about half a mile away reported hearing shots. The two were later identified by the victims.

The boys, ages 15 and 16, are being held at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall.