Man Shot, Killed Outside Store

SYLMAR —  A man was shot to death outside a 7-Eleven on Wednesday morning after an argument with his killer, Los Angeles police said.

Manuel Dealba, 48, and his female companion, in her 40s, had gone into the store in the 14100 block of Foothill Boulevard at about 5:50 a.m., made some purchases and walked back to their pickup truck, Lt. Anthony Alba said.

“As they were seated inside, a lone male Hispanic walked up to the driver’s side,” Alba said. An argument broke out and the other man drew a pistol and fired several times into Dealba’s head and chest at point-blank range, mortally wounding him.

The woman sitting beside the victim was not injured, Alba said.

The gunman then ran behind the convenience store, got into a stolen white Chevrolet Camaro and entered the eastbound lanes of the Foothill Freeway from the Polk Street onramp, Alba said. The gunman soon abandoned the car on the freeway and fled on foot into the surrounding community.

Police surrounded the area bounded by Polk Street, Astoria Street, Gladstone Avenue and Foothill Boulevard and closed the Polk Street freeway entrance and exit as they searched for the gunman.

Police took one man to the Foothill police station for questioning, but he was released and is not a suspect, according to Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Mike Partain.

Alba said detectives also interviewed the victim’s companion.

Paramedics rushed Dealba to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills where he was placed on a life-support system and was pronounced dead several hours later.

The motive for the shooting is unknown. Police said the incident could have been a botched carjacking or a robbery attempt.