Two men who were killed in Carson over the weekend may have shot each other to death, authorities said.
The men, identified by the Medical Examiner’s office as Richard Mata, 44 and Va’afatu Mativa, 18, were known to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s gang unit as members of gang factions “that have a history of not getting along,” Lt. Steven De Jong said.
Mativa was standing outside and Mata was in a vehicle in the 100 block of West 234th Street about 11:35 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, De Jong said. Specifically what led to the shooting was not known, but investigators said they believe the men fired at each other, with Mata’s vehicle then rolling across Main Street before jumping a curb and coming to rest after hitting a parked vehicle in the 100 block of East 234th Street.
Investigators said they believe the two men did not know each other prior to the shooting, De Jong said.
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Mata lived in the neighborhood, De Jong said, while Mativa “has a lot of family ties in the neighborhood,” but hadn’t been staying there. Mativa was identified by De Jong as living in Gardena.
Investigators recovered multiple firearms, De Jong said.
Family members of both men arrived at the scene over the weekend, KTLA reported. Family members of Mata told the station he was a father of three who was raised in Carson and had recently moved back from Arizona. Mativa’s family members said he was on dialysis and recently received a new kidney.
Homicide detectives were asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visiting lacrimestoppers.org.
