A Los Angeles man, Selvin Fabian Salazar, has been convicted for a violent rampage that resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to two others in Gardena and Lynwood in 2018. Following a jury's decision on September 19, Salazar faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole, as stated by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The sentencing is scheduled for October 23 at the Torrance Courthouse, as reported by the District Attorney’s website.
The conviction comes more than six years after the deadly events of July 31, 2018, when Salazar opened fire at a mobile home park in Gardena. His victims included Dolores Sanchez, who was fatally shot while seated in her vehicle, and Saith Pedraza who, suffering from life-altering wounds, succumbed to his injuries two years later. Salazar's ex-girlfriend, who was pregnant at the time, was among the injured, CBS News Los Angeles detailed.
After the initial shootings, Salazar coerced a married couple, Francisco Montes and his wife, aiding his escape to Lynwood. Once there, in a turn of horrific events, he murdered Montes and attempted to kill Montes’ wife, whose life was spared due to a gun malfunction. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department conducted a 36-hour manhunt following the incidents, culminating in Salazar’s arrest in Inglewood, per KTLA's report.
District Attorney George Gascón referred to the shootings as a "devastating situation" and expressed hope that the verdict may offer a semblance of solace to the families of the victims. "Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, who have endured such imaginable pain and loss. No verdict can ever fully heal the wounds caused by such senseless violence, but we hope the case’s outcome provides some solace and a sense of closure," Gascón said in a statement obtained by the District Attorney’s website.
Selvin Fabian Salazar was convicted on multiple counts including murder, attempted murder, witness intimidation, carjacking, and firearm possession by a felon. The complex case pieced together a tragic narrative of violence and betrayal that led to a jury finding the special circumstances of multiple murders and a sentencing enhancement of use of force to be true, as detailed according to KTLA.
