A domestic dispute quickly escalated in a California home, leaving the Mayor of Bell Gardens dead.
Daniel Crespo, 45, and his wife Levette Crespo were having an argument on Tuesday in the their bedroom. Their son, 19-year-old Daniel Crespo, Jr., intervened and caused the tension to rise. His father punched him, which prompted Levette Crespo to grab a gun and shoot her husband.
Levette Crespo shot Mayor Crespo in the torso multiple times during the incident. He was rushed to the hospital, but died on the way. His wife and son were taken into custody for questioning, but were later released.
The couple, originally from Brooklyn, married in 1986. They were high school sweethearts. The family moved to Los Angeles a year later, and Mayor Crespo became a deputy probation officer. He was elected to the Bell Gardens City Council in 2001.
One neighbor, Ana Maria, told the Los Angeles Times that Crespo was “such a nice man and was so important to the city.” It seems the fatal shooting comes as a shock to the neighborhood, where Mayor Crespo worked and lived.
At this time, no arrests have been made and the investigation remains open as authorities try to determine if criminal charges will be filed.