By Randy Economy
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau detectives are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of a male Hispanic juvenile, which occurred this past Sunday night on the 13200 block of Duffield Avenue, La Mirada.
Sergio Martinez, a 16 year student from La Mirada High School has been identified as the victim of the crime, the La Mirada Lamplighter has learned.
Detectives said that Martinez was standing in the driveway of his residence when several unknown suspects approached him on foot, and fired several rounds at him, striking him once in the upper torso.
Martinez was transported to a local hospital where he passed away from his injuries.
His death is the second in two weeks from students who attend Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Schools.
There is no suspect information available at this time, but in a statement to the media on Monday morning the “shooting is believed to be gang related.”
Natalie Sanchez, the Student Board Representative on the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Board of Education, and the current Student Body President Leader at La Mirada High School said in an interview that Martinez was a “shy person” who had “a great sense of humor.”
“We are very sad that this happened, he was too young to die,” she said.
School Board President Darryl Adams said that it is a “tremendous loss to the community and most particularly to Sergio’s family.”
When asked how this affects him as president of the school board, he said “we see our kids for 18 years, and we have seen a lot of them struck down too early, and they need to keep stressing to them just how precious life really is.”
“I have seen way too many of our students lose their lives, “Adams said.
Adams also made mention that the district is still “reeling” from the shooting death of another student, Mark Valles, of John Glenn High School just two weeks ago in another possible “gang related shooting.”
Another student from Norwalk High School was killed earlier this school year after being stabbed while walking home from school. “One death is too many, and each of them is very painful for each and every one of us,” Adams said.
Funeral services are pending, and a Memorial page was established in Sergio’s honor on Facebook.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
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