Robbery Victim Killed for Trying to Answer Door

Two men walked into a Koreatown apartment and one of them shot and killed the resident when he went to answer a knock on the door as the suspects were robbing the people in the unit, authorities said Tuesday.

Jose Cerrado, 29, and others were in the apartment in the 800 block of South Berendo Street when the two gunmen entered the building by following a tenant into the structure about 8:10 p.m. Monday, Lt. Frank Spangler said. They walked into Cerrado’s apartment through an open front door, he said.

“Once inside, the suspects drew weapons and ordered the occupants to give up their valuables,” Spangler said. “During the robbery, the apartment manager knocked on the victim’s door. When the victim attempted to answer the knock, one suspect fired one round, striking the victim.” The gunmen then ran from the apartment. Cerrado died at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan.