Two men sitting in a parked car were shot dead during an illegal takeover in Compton over the weekend, authorities said.
The shooting was reported near North Bullis Road and East Pine Street just before 1 a.m. on Sunday, Los Angeles County Sheriff officials said.
The men, described as only 20 years old, were both shot in the upper body in a parked car.
A small memorial with a collection of candles forming the letters J and J had been erected in a nearby parking lot by Monday morning. Friends at the memorial identified the dead as Javier “Javi” Menchaca (19) and Juanito Orozco (21).
Robert Hernandez, 25, said Menchaca was a friendly, non-gang person who attended Paramount High School east of Compton. Menchaca liked to watch the road takeovers from a distance, but he never took part in the dangerous stunts, Hernandez said.
“He was in his mother’s kia when they shot him. All he liked to do was mind his own business, ”said Hernandez. “Who goes and shoots someone like that? None of this makes sense. “
Yahaira Reyes, 18, said she had the last Menchaca law Friday night, and he texted her early Sunday morning about 15 minutes before the shooting. He said he was on his way to her house.
“Javi wanted to come to my birthday party. And then I didn’t hear from him and thought he was being held up with something else, ”Reyes said in front of the memorial near the place where her friend was shot. “He was a good, loving person. Anything you could ask of him and he would be there for you. “
Videos of the illegal takeover and graphic images of the shootings were shared on Instagram.
Heriberto Villanueva, 25, spoke to Menchaca daily, and the two texted Menchaca the day before filming. He brought a box of Menchaca’s favorite seltzer and set it down next to religious candles and balloons at the Compton Crossing.
“I taught him to drive,” said Villanueva. “I kicked with him every day, and the only day I wasn’t with him happened this fing.”
There were no arrests of the shootings and the sheriff’s investigators did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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