Father Shot on Christmas Day Dies

A 24-year-old man shot several times while viewing holiday light displays on Christmas Day with his wife and 2-year-old son has died, and detectives say they will now seek murder charges against his alleged killer.

Francisco Javier Hernandez was pronounced dead at 10:29 a.m. Sunday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, hospital spokesman Barry Ginsbarg said.

Hernandez had been hospitalized since Dec. 25, when a gunman identified by police as Carlos Alvaro Beltrani Merino, 32, of Sylmar, allegedly shot him in the head and abdomen.

Police believe Merino has fled to Mexico, said Det. Rick Swanston of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley Division.

Detectives hope to take their case to Mexico and have Merino prosecuted by that country’s authorities because the United States and Mexico do not have an extradition agreement, Swanston said.

Police said Hernandez ran into Merino at the light display in an area called Candy Cane Lane near Calvert Street and Lubao Avenue.

Searching through records after the shooting, police found that Hernandez had filed a crime report in April claiming that Merino owed him $1,300 in a dispute over auto insurance, Swanston said.

The name and address given to Hernandez turned out to be fake, but Hernandez had taken down the man’s license plate number, which police were able to trace to a 1998 dark green Honda that belonged to Merino.

Shortly after running into each other the night of the shooting, Hernandez and Merino got into a heated argument and then a scuffle, Swanston said.

Merino--who was accompanied by his girlfriend, family and friends--then pulled out a handgun and shot Hernandez before leaving the scene, police said.

An ex-convict, Merino was unemployed at the time of the shooting, Swanston said. He is described as 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes and weighing 150 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call (818) 756-8546 weekdays or (213) 485-2504 after hours.