Maine Avenue Neighborhood In Shock After Fatal Shooting

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Neighbors on the block 3800 Maine Avenue in Baldwin Park are still getting over their astonishment. Early on Friday, a car-to-car shootout between gangs left one person dead, one wounded, and a community in shock.

"It was a great shock to me. It makes you think about how reckless these people can be when they are armed," said Antonio Gonzalez, a resident of nearly 17 years, from inside his home. The window in Gonzalez's living room was pierced by a bullet while his family was sleeping.

"We didn't find out until the police came to knock on the door," he added. "We have not had an incident like this in the area for a long time," Gonzales added.

The bullet in his living room was one of several, fired by suspects during the incident that killed one young resident of this city, unoficially identified as Steven Reyes.

His brother apparently met the same fate in June of this year, when he was found dead in a separate incident. 

According to authorities, during the shootings on Monday, another person was injured, and a 16-year-old was unharmed. The initial investigations suggest this is a gang-related incident.

"I heard the shots but did not go out. It's sad that something like this happened," said Karen, a resident who asked not to give her last name, and whose car was hit by a bullet. "It's scary to think that at that time someone could have been returning from work or the movies, and ending up as a victim," she added.

"I just heard 'pow,' 'pow,' 'pow', and in minutes after that, we saw the ambulances. Multiple alarms sounded, I thought they were stealing my car," said Luis Vazquez, who has lived in this area for 30 years.

Although Baldwin Park has a reputation for being an unsafe area, many residents say this is not reality. At least on this street, there were no security problems like the one that took place on Friday morning, they said.

"We are in shock. Things like this never should happened" said Mark Shenefield. "There were problems in Baldwin Park before, but not so much now. And this area is very quiet," he added.

There have only been two murders in Baldwin Park in 2012. However, several shootings without fatalities have occurred lately.

Authorities said yesterday that the investigation is ongoing, and they have not revealed more details about the incident.

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