EAST LOS ANGELES >> Family members identified the victim of a shooting in an East L.A. home early Monday as the cousin of the suspect, who later crashed a stolen vehicle in Whittier and killed one police officer in a brief shootout.
The family of Roy Torres, who recently moved in to his parent’s hillside home overlooking Cal State L.A. after living in Orange County, said he was shot to death in his bedroom after an argument with the suspect.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials also identified Torres late Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Another cousin of Torres, Johnny Garcia, 28, of Whittier, said everyone was asleep in the house when the shooting occurred and that Torres’ mother didn’t hear anything.
“Roy was in the (converted) garage with Victoria (his girlfriend of five months). This guy came into his house and stolen his car,” Garcia said. “I don’t know what they could have been arguing about. Roy never yelled. I never heard him raise his voice.”
Torres loved to barbecue steak and lobster and was an all-around caring guy and a peacemaker, said Garcia.
Garcia , who also lost another cousin about eight years ago in a shooting death, was sometimes tearful as he recalled Torres’ life and tried to come to grips as to why he was dead.
“He wasn’t confrontational,” Garcia said. “He’d be more like, ‘Let’s talk it out’.”
Garcia said the last time he saw Torres was on Super Bowl Sunday when Torres bought and barbecued steak and lobster for the family of about 25 relatives and friends.
“He was the life of the party. Good company to be around,” Garcia said about Torres.
Garcia said Torres had a variety of jobs, including working as a butcher for many years before going to work with his dad.
Torres moved to his parents’ home in 2015 to help with his ailing father who soon died.
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