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Inglewood Man in Wheelchair Shot and Killed by Vandals
An Inglewood man in a wheelchair was killed early Sunday morning after an apparent shooting. Sergio Velez, 48, was found dead by authorities around 2:20am in the 900 block of South Osage Avenue near Prairie Avenue in Inglewood with bullet wounds in his head and back.
CBS LA reports that Velez, who shared a home with his wife, sons and grandchildren, awoke to vandals throwing flower pots through their windows. Their car tires had also been slashed and their walls covered in graffiti. After calling the police, Velez went outside to investigate. His body was soon found three blocks away from the home.
The family suspects local gang members of the vandalism and murder. Velez's son, Arnoldo Velez, said gangs are active in the area, adding that the family has previously shooed suspicious people away from the property.
"I wish I could have held him back and told him don't go," said Arnoldo.
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Inglewood police are on the hunt for suspects. The shooting is the seventh homicide in Inglewood this year, according to the L.A. Times. Anyone with additional information is urged to call Inglewood Police at 310-412-5240.
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