Three men have been arrested in connection with the slaying of a father and husband who was gunned down at his South Los Angeles taco stand two days before Father's Day, police announced Wednesday.
The men were believed to be gang members who range in age from 18 to 35, Los Angeles Police Department officials said. But the men's names were not released because the case remained under investigation, police said.
Alvaro Mata, 30, was shot in the face June 19 as he worked late at his taco stand near 51st Street and McKinley Avenue. Police said the men were arrested five blocks away from the scene.
"It's an extremely heinous crime," said LAPD Capt. Jorge Rodriguez. "I don't think any of these individuals had any regard for human life."
Police said a combination of surveillance video, witness interviews and "luck" led to the arrests. When the three men were detained, they were armed and ridinging in the same car seen on the night of the slaying. Police believe they were the same men who robbed another vendor that night.
"We want justice, we don't want vengeance," said another vendor, who wanted to be identified only as Rosa, after hearing the news of the arrests.
Police said the men may have been targeting undocumented immigrants who were working as vendors.
Mata was a husband and father who was well known in the community.
"It not only robbed him, robbed the family, but it robbed the community of a hard-working man who cared and was kind to all," City Councilman Curren Price said.
Mata's family is hoping to raise funds to send his body to Mexico.
NBC4's Willian Avila contributed to this report.
