Lt. Bob Dunn of the Anaheim Police Department provides an update on the investigation into a fatal freeway shooting. Jane Yamamoto reports for Today in LA on Tuesday July 15, 2014.
One person was killed and another wounded in a shooting on the westbound 91 Freeway in Anaheim on Monday night, forcing the closure of all westbound lanes for about six hours as investigators gathered evidence, the Anaheim Police Department said.
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The incident was reported just after 8 p.m. near the 57 Freeway interchange, the CHP said.
A passenger in the front seat of a Ford F-150 pickup truck shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver was hurt and rushed to the hospital.
The man who was killed was idenified as Agustin Villegas, 32, of Anaheim. The driver of the truck, a 42-year-old male who is Villegas' cousin, is expected to survive.
Two other passengers in the back seat of the pickup truck, a 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy, were uninjured, officers said.
All four passengers were related. The two teens in the back were the sons of Villegas and his cousin, police said.
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The truck was traveling west on the 91 Freeway when the front windows shattered from the shooting. According to police, Villegas immediately slumped over and became unresponsive.
The westbound stretch of the 91 Freeway from Kraemer Boulevard to the 57 Freeway was closed until around 2 a.m., the CHP said.
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About six officers held flashlights and walked side by side as they combed the lanes for evidence.
"There are some reports that this may have begun west on the 91 at Tustin or Kraemer or here at the 57," said Lt. Bob Dunn of the Anaheim Police Department. "All it takes is one shred of evidence so we can hopefully find the person who did this."
The circumstances surrounding the gunfire were unclear. Police were initially searching for a black Honda Accord that was missing a license plate in connection with the shooting, but said Tuesday morning that the information is unsubstantiated as the suspect is unknown and unidentified at this time.
Investigators are trying to figure out whether it was a car-to-car shooting or someone shooting from the side of the freeway.
The victim was a mechanic and was the sole provider for his family. He had no known criminal ties, Anaheim Police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.
Samia Khan and Jane Yamamoto contributed to this report.
