HUNTINGTON PARK : 2 Held in Shooting of Off-Duty Officer

Two men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery after an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer was shot while using a pay phone Thursday night in Huntington Park, authorities said.

The 22-year-old officer, whose namewas not released, was shot in the legs but not seriously wounded in the attack in the 3000 block of Florence Avenue, said Sgt. Ron Spear of the Sheriff’s Department. The officer had been using the phone when two men approached and one thrust a gun in his stomach, Spear said.

A struggle followed and the suspect’s gun went off, striking both the officer’s legs, Spear said. The officer returned gunfire as the two men fled.

Huntington Park police later arrested Aaron Ibarra, 31, after he sought treatment for a gunshot wound at Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center. He was in custody and in stable condition Friday at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, Spear said.

An investigation led to the arrest of Freddie Santiago, 25, at a home in South Gate. Santiago is suspected of driving the getaway vehicle, a red Blazer that had been reported stolen in Los Angeles, Spear said.

A third suspect was being sought, but details about his role in the attack were not available.

The officer was treated at County-USC Medical Center and released.