14 DAY TRIAL // Police are investigating an ambush and fatal shooting at a Redondo Beach apartment building on Friday, June 21.
38-year-old Bobby Darren Reynolds of Gardena man was shot at 8 p.m. at the corner of Lilienthal and Ralston lanes, Redondo Beach police Capt. Jeff Hink specified in a press statement.
Witnesses have spotted two men fleeing in a Chrysler 300 after one of them shot Reynolds. The car was found abandoned near the crime scene, the Daily Breeze reported.
Police have concluded that the attackers knew the victim and approached him with the intent of taking his life.
"It appears as though [Bobby] was specifically targeted. This was not a drive-by shooting. He was completely defenseless when this happened, so it's really a shame for him and his family.
"Obviously we want to clear this up and get someone in custody as soon as we can. It starts with contacting this person of interest, Mr. Ortega," Capt. Hink says.
Reynolds was not armed when he was attacked, and he was standing outside the apartment complex where his mother-in-law lived.
He was transported to Harbor General Hospital in Torrance with multiple gunshot wounds and he succumbed to his injuries soon after.
"Not even 10 minutes after he left the door here, I heard pop, pop, pop," mother-in-law Margaret recalls, as relayed to the Christian Post.
"They've left a woman without a husband, two kids without their daddy, and a mother and father without a son," she adds.
South Bay Police have identified the owner of the Chrysler as a person of interest in the killing. 27-year-old Erick Ortega of South Bay has an extensive criminal record consisting of robbery, threats, drug and firearm possession and resisting arrest charges. He is currently on the loose.