A quiet morning at a cramped clothing exporter on Pico Boulevard exploded into chaos on May 3, 2024, when seven masked men in body armor and carrying assault rifles allegedly jumped out of a van and opened fire, prosecutors say. By the time it was over, one worker was dead, a cellphone had been abandoned at the scene and what started as a robbery had turned into a sprawling homicide and gang investigation.
According to prosecutors, 38-year-old Eduardo Perez Basurto was hit by rounds that pierced his spine, lung and aorta and later died, and assailants also kicked and beat him as he lay wounded. Investigators say one of the attackers dropped a cellphone during the chaos, and detectives later pulled up Signal messages that pointed to meeting spots, an Airbnb and vehicle movements they linked to the crew. Authorities allege the group included members of MS-13 and an outfit called Money, Power, Respect, according to the Los Angeles Times.
How detectives connected the dots
Detectives say the trail from that phone took them to a Silver Lake Airbnb, where surveillance video captured the suspects before they pulled masks over their faces, and to a Jeep that they say tied one man directly to the scene. An acquaintance quoted by investigators described the suspected shooter, Mohammad Daas, as “a shark.” The Los Angeles Times reports that Daas was later discovered dead in the trunk of a car on Sawtelle Boulevard, and that Signal messages, Airbnb footage and vehicle tracking form the backbone of the case, according to the paper.
Alleged gang ties and charges
An indictment tied to the Sun Packing attack names 12 people, and prosecutors and court testimony say six are in custody while the rest remain under investigation. One defendant, Eric Omar Martinez, is portrayed in court filings as a reputed leader of MS-13’s Leeward clique and has entered not guilty pleas to murder and robbery charges. Detectives have testified that they suspect the crew was targeting cannabis distributors and dispensaries as part of a broader crime pattern.
Legal outlook
Prosecutors are leaning heavily on digital forensics and layers of surveillance evidence as the case works its way through Los Angeles County Superior Court, and upcoming pretrial hearings will decide which pieces of that evidence jurors ultimately see. Defense attorneys have already signaled plans to contest parts of the investigative record, so motions and rulings in the coming weeks could significantly shape how any eventual trial looks.
What this means for the Fashion District
Merchants in the neighborhood say the attack has laid bare just how vulnerable small exporters and storefronts can be when they are operating on thin margins and tight, fast-moving schedules. The investigation is expected to fuel renewed pressure on law enforcement and city officials to bolster protections for businesses packed into the dense Fashion District, where one violent robbery can send shock waves up and down the block.
