According to police, a father allegedly handed his teenage son a gun before carrying out a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.
On February 10, Roberto Martinez accompanied his 14-year-old son on a graffiti rampage across downtown Los Angeles, where he subsequently stumbled into Kevin Rivera.
Five shots were fired through a car’s passenger window, killing Rivera and wounded two others, according to an LAPD search warrant affidavit obtained by The Los Angeles Times.
The teen was allegedly clutching the gun.
Martinez, 43, and his son have been charged with the murder of Rivera, whom Martinez suspected was a member of a rival gang, according to the newspaper.
Martinez has pled not guilty, despite having been in and out of prison for drug and gun possession since 2005, according to court documents. According to the LAPD, he belongs to a Hollywood gang known as The Magicians’ Club, or TMC, and goes by the alias “Stranger.”
Because of his son’s age, details about his case are kept private.
Martinez told a fellow prisoner about a gunshot after his detention, alleging that “four people got dropped and one died,” according to the affidavit obtained by The Times.
According to the affidavit, the victim was a member of the Playboys, another Los Angeles-based gang.
“My son did what he had to do, dog,” Martinez stated in a recorded call, according to the complaint. “Honestly, I attempted to stop him. I attempted to seize the gun.
However, according to the affidavit, detectives believe Martinez gave his son the firearm used to kill Rivera.
The firearm was later found in Wilmington, California, after a man allegedly flung it while attempting to flee LAPD authorities. According to authorities, the.40-caliber Glock found during the pursuit was analyzed and identified as the one used to kill Rivera.
According to the complaint, WhatsApp conversations on Alvarez’s phone indicate that he purchased the Glock for $800 five days after Rivera was fatally shot.