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Police today asked the public to keep an eye out for a suspect they believe might be linked to the murder of Joseph Gatto, father of local state assemblyman Mike Gatto, as well as a separate assault near Gatto's Silver Lake home.The 78-year-old was fatally shot in a possible home-invasion robbery last week. Police responded to a call around 8:15 p.m. when Joseph Gatto's daughter had found his body slumped over on a chair with a gunshot wound to his stomach.
The elder Gatto was a retired schoolteacher from serving the Los Angeles Unified District for more than 40 years, and was also a jewelry craftsman.
On Nov. 12 a neighbor saw a man breaking into a car on Moreno Drive, around the corner from the murder scene on Bright Lane. The LAPD said in a statement:
"When she confronted the suspect, he pointed a gun and threatened to kill her. Another witness confronted the suspect at which point he repeated the threat. The suspect then fled on foot down public stairs on Tesla Avenue. This suspect may be connected to a homicide that occured on the 2800 block of Bright Lane."
