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The LAPD arrested 26-year-old South LA resident Michelle Cato yesterday following a brutal daylight shooting that took place outside Marshal House on South San Julian Street. "The victim, a 38-year-old woman, died at the Los Angeles County - USC Medical Center about one hour after the shooting," explains an LAPD press release. Cato was taken into custody immediately after the shooting, when "witnesses, including the [wictim]’s son, chased Cato [...] toward the police station. A motorcycle officer grabbed Cato and held her," and witnesses pointed out the suspected murder weapon. Lt. Paul Vernon notes: “This appears to be a cold-blooded shooting. The suspect shot this woman in full view of the victim’s 23-year-old son and dozens of bystanders.” No motive for the crime has been determined.
This is the fifth murder logged in Downtown this year, according to the LAPD, and while Vernon calls yesterday's shooting "a tragic, senseless murder," he's quick to add that "thankfully we see far fewer shootings on skid row than we used to."
Cato is being held without bail thanks to her status as a parolee for an earlier narcotics conviction; says Vernon of Cato and the daytime crime: “Clearly, this suspect had no compunction for life or getting caught; there’s no street with more cops or more cameras per square foot than San Julian Street.”
