Investigators are asking the public for help in finding the 41-year-old man suspected in the shooting deaths of a woman and her daughter in Compton. Jonathan Gonzalez reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on April 3, 2025.
Investigators are asking the public for help in finding the man suspected in the deaths of a woman and her daughter in a drive-by shooting at a Compton stoplight.
La'von Hall, 45, and her daughter, Ma'Laysia Martin, 22, were shot and killed at about 7 p.m. Tuesday. Donte Lamont Brown, a 41-year-old resident of Compton and estranged boyfriend of Hall, was identified as a suspect by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
The agency asked for help Thursday in locating Brown.
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"Detectives have exhausted all leads and seek the public's assistance in locating suspect Brown," the department said in a news release. "Brown is considered to be armed and dangerous, and his whereabouts are unknown at this time."
Brown is known to frequent the Compton and Long Beach areas, the department added.
UPDATE* #LASD Homicide Detectives Identify Suspect in Compton Double Murder Investigation, Caldwell Street and South-Central Avenue #Comptonhttps://t.co/6q0dSoKwc8 pic.twitter.com/9s7sxXM1c9
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) April 3, 2025
Deputies responded at about 7 p.m. Tuesday to Caldwell Street and South Central Avenue, where they found Hall on the ground with gunshot wounds. Martin, also with gunshot wounds, was in the passenger seat of a vehicle.
Both women died at the scene.
Brown drove up alongside the victims' vehicle when it was at a stoplight and fired several rounds, the sheriff's department said. Hall got out of the car, but collapsed on the ground.
Brown left the scene southbound on South Central Avenue, the sheriff's department said.
Neighbor Debbie Shaw said she spoke with the younger victim's boyfriend after the shooting.
"She did just pick up her mother from work," Shaw said. "To come out here to see a mother and a daughter, that’s really heartbreaking."
Compton City Councilmember Jonathan Bowers said the shooting is believed to be a case of domestic violence. More details about a motive were not immediately available.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
