Brandon Hanson, 34 [Updated]

Died May 17, 2010 at 11:28 p.m.

Brandon Hanson, a 34-year-old white man, was shot and killed Monday, May 17, in the 400 block of North Avalon Boulevard in Wilmington, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Hanson was at a bar when he got into an argument with another person, said Ed Winter, spokesman for the coroner's office.

The individual punched Hanson and then pulled out a gun and shot him several times about 10:38 p.m., Winter said.

Hanson was taken to Harbor UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:28 p.m., according to coroner's records.

Winter said authorities had arrested the alleged shooter and recovered a weapon. Detectives did not immediately return a call seeking additional information about the case.

[Updated on May 26: LAPD Harbor Det. David Cortez, who is handling the investigation, said Hanson arrived at the bar with a female, but she left him within an hour.

The woman returned with other male friends and the group joined Hanson at the bar, Cortez said.

Later, the woman left the bar again, but came back with the alleged shooter, identified by investigators as Ruben Velasquez, a 26-year-old Latino.

Hanson thought the woman was giving too much attention to Velasquez, so he approached her to ask why, Cortez said. Seeing this, Velasquez interrupted the conversation and then got into an argument with Hanson.

At that point, Cortez said, Velasquez punched Hanson then pulled out a gun and shot him.

A witness at the bar took down Velasquez’s license plate number and gave it to authorities, Cortez said. Soon after the shooting, sheriff deputies in Carson were able to track down Velasquez and arrested him on suspicion of murder.

He is currently being held at the Men's Central Jail in downtown. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 3 at the Long Beach Superior Court.]

[Update June 1: The woman in the midst of the altercation has been identified as Angela Chavez, a 32-year-old Latina. She has been charged with being an accessory after the fact, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. 

Det. Cortez said she drove Velasquez away from the shooting location and was arrested with him when he was stopped by police.

Chavez is being held at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood and she is scheduled to appear in Long Beach Superior Court with Velasquez on June 3. ]

— Sarah Ardalani