Rising Latin singer gunned down in L.A. may have been set up by friends
Rising Latin singer gunned down in L.A. may have been set up by friends
Two of the three people charged in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Maria De La Rosa, a rising Latin singer known professionally as DELAROSA, may have set the artist up, according to a search warrant affidavit reviewed by the Los Angeles Times.
The Nov. 22 shooting unfolded just before 1:30 a.m. on Bryant Street east of Tampa Avenue in Northridge.
“Witnesses described seeing two male suspects approach a vehicle that was parked on Bryant Street,” LAPD officials said in a statement issued Nov. 24. “Multiple rounds were fired at several victims who were parked in the area in their vehicle.”
Three people, including De La Rosa, were inside the car when gunfire erupted and all of them were struck, LAPD confirmed. The 22-year-old suffered a gunshot to the chest and was rushed in a private car to the hospital, where she died.
The two surviving victims, who have yet to be identified, were also taken to the hospital in critical condition.
In a search warrant affidavit obtained by The Times, Det. Siranush Simonyan alleged that Francisco “G Boy” Gaytan and his friend Benny “Player” Gomez, both of whom had known De La Rosa since childhood, set the singer up.
Gaytan, who was arrested the same day as the deadly shooting, told police that it was Gomez who made plans to meet with the singer for a “drug buy” on Bryant Street and that the plan was only to rob her, Simonyan wrote in the affidavit.
Both Gaytan and Gomez, as well as the two alleged gunmen, are reportedly members of Bryant Street, a Northridge street gang.
Gaytan maintained his innocence, telling police he had nothing to do with the robbery. But a search of his phone revealed text messages to one of the alleged shooters, Eduardo “Active” Lopez, Simonyan said.
The text to Lopez, sent five hours before for De La Rosa was killed, reportedly said, “Go get a ski mask.”
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Gomez spoke to investigators a day after the shooting. He claimed he’d been speaking to the singer outside of Gaytan’s apartment when the shooters opened fire. He said he ducked and ran off and later learned from De La Rosa’s mother that she had been killed.
Surveillance cameras from the nearby apartment building contradicted Gomez’s version of events, according to the affidavit. Simonyan wrote that the cameras showed Gomez talking to Lopez and the second alleged shooter moments before the singer pulled up and that he shook their hands and made a Bryant Street gang sign before the pair disappeared down an alley.
De La Rosa called Gomez as he approached the Cadillac Escalade she pulled up in. Moments later, the two alleged gunmen emerged from the alley and pulled out a shotgun and a handgun, Det. Simonyan wrote.
After the gunfire, the Escalade sped off. The security cameras, according to investigators, captured a person, possibly Gomez, saying, “Why’d you shoot them, fool?”
The alleged shooters, according to The Times reporting, stashed their guns in a Chevrolet Astro van before getting into Gaytan’s BMW where he berated them, calling them dumb and saying, “I told you what to make it look like.”
Lopez and the other alleged shooter fled in a Honda Civic, likely to Mexico, Simonyan wrote in the affidavit.
Less than 24 hours after De La Rosa died, Gomez reportedly text Gaytan, saying, “We good they left to tj.”
The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office listed bail amounts ranging from $2.18 million to $2.28 million when charges were filed, though LAPD said Gaytan and Gomez were being held without bail following their arrests.
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“This was a ruthless and targeted attack that stole the life of a young woman and artist and inflicted profound lifelong trauma on her family and the two survivors,” L.A. County DA Nathan Hochman said.
Gaytan and Gomez have each been charged with one felony count of murder and two felony counts of aggravated second-degree robbery. If convicted as charged, they face a maximum of life in prison without the chance of parole.
Prosecutors also announced the same charges against Lopez. However, it is unknown if he has been taken into custody, nor is it known if charges are pending against the second alleged gunman, whose whereabouts are also not known.
DELAROSA, who released the single “No Me Llames” in August, had recently posted footage from a recording studio and was believed to be working on new music. Her death sparked grief across social media, including condolences from fans and industry figures.
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