HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Police have charged an ex-convict they suspect of firing shots near the Hollywood Farmers' Market Sunday, the L.A. County District Attorney announced Tuesday.
Joseph DeLaCruz, 42, faces felony charges for shooting at an inhabited dwelling, first-degree burglary with a person present, criminal threats, possession of a firearm by a felon, unlawful possession of ammunition, vandalism causing $400 or more in damage or destruction of property, and discharge of a firearm with gross negligence, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Investigators say DeLaCruz threatened a woman with a gun and then fired shots from his apartment's balcony in the 1600 block of Cosmo Street, one block east of Cahuenga and Hollywood boulevards. Bullets damaged buildings and vehicles, authorities said.
Officers who responded to witnesses' emergency calls that morning reported arriving to find the suspect yelling and throwing out items off the balcony. Los Angeles police said no one was hurt.
"It's extremely fortunate that no one was injured in this brazen act of violence," District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. "We cannot tolerate the indiscriminate firing of a weapon into an area frequented by so many innocent members of our community. Everyone should be able to enjoy a Sunday morning without being worried about being struck by a random bullet."
The shooting forced Hollywood Farmers' Market organizers to close down the popular Sunday stop. In a Facebook post, the event confirmed all of its staff and vendors were safe.
Shortly after 9 a.m., the LAPD called in a SWAT team for an active standoff after the alleged shooter barricaded himself inside the apartment. Police used gas to enter the unit and arrested the suspect just before noon.
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