A 28-year-old Hawthorne man was charged last week with murder and attempted murder for a shooting along a Hawthorne residential street, court records show.
Mauricio Garcia, who on Friday pleaded not guilty to the charges, was found by Hawthorne police allegedly holding a firearm after officers were called to the 14100 block of Doty Avenue about 2:15 a.m. Wednesday on a report of gunshots heard, authorities said.
Garcia, who lived in an apartment complex, was questioned and ultimately arrested on suspicion of killing 41-year-old Hernando Queens, who Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said lived in a neighboring single-family home.
Queens had returned home in his car when Garcia approached and a dispute ensued, leading to the shooting, sheriff’s Lt. Michael Modica said.
Hawthorne officers arrived to find Queens on the ground near his car, Modica said.
A second man who was not believed to be involved was also hit by a bullet and drove himself to a hospital.
What the dispute was about was not known.