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The Los Angeles Police Department have released information about a suspect in the shooting death of Juan David Vasquez Loma, who was gunned down in what appears to be a random act of road rage violence that played out earlier this month on the streets of Silver Lake. "The suspect is a Hispanic male in his mid-20’s with dark hair and dark eyes. Police say the weapon used was a .32 caliber semi-automatic handgun," reports Echo Park Patch.
Loma was driving co-workers home after a shift at one of his two jobs at area restaurants at around 5:00 a.m. on August 7th when another vehicle, likely a dark green Honda Civic from the early 2000s with tinted windows, pulled alongside his and opened fire, striking Loma in the head. The shooting forced Loma to crash his car into nearby parked vehicles.
Echo Park Patch spoke with Lt. John Cook of the LAPD, who explains what happened prior to the shooting:
“The victim’s vehicle was behind the suspect’s vehicle at a stop light and chose to pass it,” said Lt. Cook. “The assumption is that it infuriated the… suspect.” Loma apparently continued driving northbound along Silver Lake Blvd., but then slowed down to allow the shooter’s car to pass him. “When the victim’s vehicle slowed down, that’s when the suspect’s vehicle came alongside and there was a gun shot,” said Lt. Cook. “The vehicles were both moving.”
Loma was removed from life support over the weekend, and his organs donated.