Apparently less than 2 miles from my old work place, across the way froma restruant I eat at... damned glad I'm not working there again, although this does make for more reason to go out armed...
SAN GABRIEL, Calif. (CBS) Asian gang members attempting extortion are believed responsible for a shooting Monday night that killed a waitress at a San Gabriel restaurant, investigators said.
The 38-year-old victim, a recent immigrant from China, was working as a food server at Quing Palace Café on East Valley Blvd. when gunfire erupted from the parking lot just before 10 p.m.
"We believe that the assailants were street gang members, Asian street gang members, and we believe that extortion is a likely reason for this terrible tragedy," sheriff's homicide Lt. Ray Peavy said.
"That is the way that these street gangs do operate, and especially the Asian street gangs,†he said.
"They do terrorize local merchants and they do attempt to -- and quite often successfully -- extort money for protection, and we believe that's what we're looking at here," Peavy said.
As many as 25 shots were fired, shattering a plate glass window at the front of the eatery and striking the victim in the chest.
"At the time, there were four customers seated behind a partition and then a waitress who was at her station, and she was the one that was actually hit and died from the wounds," Peavy said.
The woman was taken to a hospital, where she died about 5 Tuesday morning.
"All I can tell you about the victim -- we've not notified her next-of-kin so we're not releasing her name at this point -- (is that) she was 38 years old, she was from China, she had been in this country for a very short period of time, and ... she had only been working at the restaurant for several weeks," Peavy said.
The shooters did not immediately rush away from the scene, according to witnesses, who saw a male in a tan jacket drive away in a white newer model 5- Series BMW followed by a dark-colored vehicle, sheriff's officials said.
Witnesses have not provided much information, apparently fearing for their own safety, according to KCAL9, which also reported that business owners and customers at the strip mall said there had been no problems prior to the attack.
Anyone with more information about the shooting is asked to call sheriff's homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500
http://kcal9.com/siteSearch/local_story_175184214.html
SAN GABRIEL, Calif. (CBS) Asian gang members attempting extortion are believed responsible for a shooting Monday night that killed a waitress at a San Gabriel restaurant, investigators said.
The 38-year-old victim, a recent immigrant from China, was working as a food server at Quing Palace Café on East Valley Blvd. when gunfire erupted from the parking lot just before 10 p.m.
"We believe that the assailants were street gang members, Asian street gang members, and we believe that extortion is a likely reason for this terrible tragedy," sheriff's homicide Lt. Ray Peavy said.
"That is the way that these street gangs do operate, and especially the Asian street gangs,†he said.
"They do terrorize local merchants and they do attempt to -- and quite often successfully -- extort money for protection, and we believe that's what we're looking at here," Peavy said.
As many as 25 shots were fired, shattering a plate glass window at the front of the eatery and striking the victim in the chest.
"At the time, there were four customers seated behind a partition and then a waitress who was at her station, and she was the one that was actually hit and died from the wounds," Peavy said.
The woman was taken to a hospital, where she died about 5 Tuesday morning.
"All I can tell you about the victim -- we've not notified her next-of-kin so we're not releasing her name at this point -- (is that) she was 38 years old, she was from China, she had been in this country for a very short period of time, and ... she had only been working at the restaurant for several weeks," Peavy said.
The shooters did not immediately rush away from the scene, according to witnesses, who saw a male in a tan jacket drive away in a white newer model 5- Series BMW followed by a dark-colored vehicle, sheriff's officials said.
Witnesses have not provided much information, apparently fearing for their own safety, according to KCAL9, which also reported that business owners and customers at the strip mall said there had been no problems prior to the attack.
Anyone with more information about the shooting is asked to call sheriff's homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500
http://kcal9.com/siteSearch/local_story_175184214.html