Gunman Sought as Killing Ends Feud, Officials Say

RESEDA â€”  A 34-year-old Reseda man shot and wounded his girlfriend’s ex-husband and killed a teenage boy in a confrontation early Sunday, police said.

Angel Mercado, who had been taunted by the man and boy earlier in the evening, shot 34-year-old Felix Trigo and his companion, Sergio Venegas, about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, killing the 17-year-old Venegas and wounding Trigo in the leg, said Sgt. Jay Bender of the West Valley Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Mercado fled and was being sought on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, Bender said. Venegas died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County coroner, and Trigo was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center in fair condition.

Police and family members said the shooting was the culmination of a feud between Mercado and Trigo over Marta Calderon, Trigo’s former wife. Calderon and Trigo were divorced about a year ago, and she and Mercado have a 6-month-old son.

The shooting occurred in the 19000 block of Bassett Street in Reseda, where Calderon and Mercado have been living with the baby and Calderon’s 10-year-old daughter from her marriage to Trigo, Bender said.

Venegas and Trigo had gone to the modest stucco house to drop something off for Trigo’s daughter about 10:30 p.m., Bender said.

But instead of leaving after the item was delivered, the pair went across the street to their car and began to taunt Mercado with a Mexican song referring to a buey, or cuckold, Calderon said. They also flashed the car’s headlights on and off in the direction of the residence, she said.

It was the second night in a row that the pair had lingered in front of the house, teasing Mercado, Calderon said.

She said she told her boyfriend to ignore them.

After the couple ate a late supper, Calderon said, she went to bed while Mercado stayed up watching television.

She was almost asleep when she heard gunshots. Moments later, she said, Mercado ran into the bedroom, grabbed the keys to their white 1986 Ford Thunderbird and fled.

The police were called and found Trigo and Venegas lying in the street, Bender said.