Homicide Report > Carlos Heredia Jr., 17

Carlos Heredia Jr., 17

Died Jan. 18, 2011

Carlos Heredia Jr., a 17-year-old Latino, was shot and killed by a Los Angeles police officer Tuesday, Jan. 18, in the 22100 block of Roscoe Boulevard in West Hills, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Shortly after midnight, police responded to a report of an attempted robbery of two people outside a gas station on Topanga Canyon and Roscoe boulevards, said LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh.

As police arrived, they began chasing a possible suspect, later identified as Carlos Heredia Jr., on foot.

During the chase, Heredia allegedly displayed a handgun. At that point, a police officer shot him, Borihanh said.

Authorities called the Los Angeles Fire Department, who arrived and pronounced Heredia dead.

Borihanh said a handgun was recovered at the scene. 

LAPD officials identified the officer who shot Heredia as Dennis Cunningham, a veteran of more than 12 years. Cunningham fired his weapons several times, according to police.

A review of the officer-involved shooting will be conducted by the LAPD Force Investigation Division, as well as the Police Chief, the Office of the Inspector General and Board of Police Commissioners and the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, officials said.

— Nate Jackson and Sarah Ardalani

22115 Roscoe Blvd.
 
 

Follow the Homicide Report on Twitter @latimeshomicide.

Updated: Jan. 26, 2011 at 9:06 a.m.

 
 

21 reader comments about Carlos Heredia Jr.

"Heredia allegedly displayed a handgun" so cops no longer shoot at suspect when "allegedly a gun was pointed" at them, but now displaying a guns gets you killed.

— Jag
Feb. 1, 2011 at 4:27 p.m.

— Jag, so why not shoot them when they have a firearm in their hands? A weapon being displayed s a weapon about to be used.

— syscom3
Feb. 1, 2011 at 8:21 p.m.

syscom3, so how do you know he had the gun in his hands? Displaying a gun could be in your waistband or anywhere is visible. It doesn't mean he was going to use it against the officer.

— Jag
Feb. 2, 2011 at 1:52 p.m.

@ Syscom you had different views when the guy in Long Beach was shot and killed by police after diplaying a water Hose Nozzle that looked very similar to a weapon.

— Curious George
Feb. 2, 2011 at 4:05 p.m.

— Curious George; because the victim in Long Beach was not in a high crime area and the police officers hadn't even contacted him yet.

There's a bit of a difference between chasing a suspect running from a crime scene who displays a weapon and sneaking up on an individual who isn't overtly threatening anyone, and just shooting him down "on a hunch".

— syscom3
Feb. 2, 2011 at 8:06 p.m.

Syscom.. Really? Long Beach is not a "high crime" area. What rock are you sleeping under? SMH

— SMH
Feb. 3, 2011 at 4:46 p.m.

Beleive it or not the cancer hasn't spread across the entire city...YET!!!

— Mike
Feb. 4, 2011 at 9:52 a.m.

Perhaps he considers only Belmont Shore and the areas around Pine and Ocean and the marina as Long Beach and all the rest is just south Compton. Seriously though, it is sad that it seems reports of shootings and murders in Long Beach occur on a weekly basis. I have always liked going there.

— Marley
Feb. 4, 2011 at 10:10 a.m.

That part of Long Beach is not known as a high crime area.

Do you ever look at the maps that are provided?

— syscom3
Feb. 4, 2011 at 11:03 a.m.

Not all of LB has been taken over by this cancer. We need to take our country back from these criminals befroe it is all ruined like Mexico..

— Dude
Feb. 4, 2011 at 11:19 a.m.

@ Dude

"Not all of LB has been taken over by this cancer. We need to take our country back from these criminals befroe it is all ruined like Mexico.."

If you want to see the future of Long Beach, venture over to Santa Ana in the OC. Another city in ruins.

— respond
Feb. 4, 2011 at 4:19 p.m.

Rest In Peace Carlos...
we will always have you in our hearts
you were too young to die.,,may you rest in peace now!

— Nojustice03
Feb. 23, 2011 at 12:38 p.m.

He was a good friend of mine he was a good person,Yes he did have bad influences around but he didnt have a place where to live.so he had to rob and get money to eat. I didn't know he had ran away til a week before he was killed i offered help but he said that he was going to go with a friend around canoga park and he ends up killed. police are never fair they have the right to shoot anyone without getting questioned about it!

— ELMER DIAZ
April 26, 2011 at 10:07 p.m.

No one has to rob to eat!

That is the exact mentality that got the kid killed!

Coworker arrived @ gas station as he left, although she did not see what happened in alley, described hearing a scuffle, shouting and several shots.. the kid was not going down w out a fight! SAD!

Thanks for posting!

— YURI
April 27, 2011 at 1:16 p.m.

@Elmer Diaz

He had to rob to get money to eat? How about getting a job? Collecting cans? Turning tricks? Anything but robbing! He was not a good guy. A good guy does not rob people.

Sorry for your loss.

— Elver Gudo
April 27, 2011 at 1:48 p.m.

YURI, so that "coworkers" of yours that arrived at the gas stations were the cops? I wouldn't be surprise if you are a cop yourself. You always side with police shootings regardless of the facts. The suspect did wrong and he deserved to go to jail, but not to get killed. It's obvious he didn't want to get cought and ran away and he didn't not want to shoot at the cops. You should know that when a suspect wants to shoot at a cop they will do it.

— Jag
April 28, 2011 at 10:29 a.m.

— Jag ..... he armed himself with a handgun for one reason. To kill people. That's why you bring a gun to a violent crime .... to kill.

The deceased sealed his own fate that day by deciding to carry a weapon. The fault is his and not the police.

Its a good thing this individual was stopped from doing anything more to society.

— syscom3
April 28, 2011 at 1:40 p.m.

Jag - that's not what Yuri said. Read it again.

— Ceace
April 28, 2011 at 3:38 p.m.

I agree with Jag, Heredia did some mistakes in his life but he was still a teenager and execution to minors is illlegal I still don't understand why this crooked, racist cop had to kill him?! I mean the cop saw a gun on him, just that! he didn't try to pull it out or even reach for it!! he was trying to flee the scene and the officer spotted a gun on him, he did not have a reason to kill him by law what he was suppose to do was to follow the police procedures by telling him to put his hands up and remove the gun from him then arrest him not kill him! But thats what cops do they cover up for each other!It's obvious that these so called cop used deadly force by shooting him! I hope that "cop" gets sentenced for what he did. I still can't believe his gone!

— nojustice
April 28, 2011 at 10:06 p.m.

— nojustice ... at age 17, you are old enough to know that carrying a gun with the intent to use it is not only wrong, but a dangerous act.

Being executed for it? Hardly. Hes the one who committed a violent crime upon an other person. He is the one who armed himself to kill. The policeman was protecting society by preventing him from having the opportunity to use it [the pistol].

As for the policeman being sentenced? For what? Stopping an armed sociopath from murdering or injuring members of the public?

As for the cop being racist? Do you know the race or ethnicity of the policeman? Are you yourself being a racist by making assumptions over events you have no first hand information over?

How about a comment about the deceased's parents? How come they didn't raise him correctly and instead steered him into a life of crime?

— syscom3
April 30, 2011 at 12:30 p.m.

Again! what are you doing on this page?! take all your negative comments elsewhere. He was my friend and who are you to judge him or his parents, because what that police men did its wrong but if it wouldve been a caucasian who wouldve been killed it wouldve been all over the news. again syscome why are you here!?... i noticed youve been writting on other peoples stories and always contradict everything everyone else says!.

— nojustice03
May 1, 2011 at 4:57 p.m.

Share a memory or thought about Carlos Heredia Jr.

Before you post, here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

:
  Required
:
  Optional
:
Email addresses are not republished or used for marketing purposes.
Browse by: age, gender, cause, day of the week, jurisdiction, neighborhood, race/ethnicity, circumstance or crime scene

The Homicide Report
is the Los Angeles Times’ interactive map and database to track homicides in Los Angeles County and provide a forum for readers to remember victims and to discuss violence in their communities.

Advertisement

Search an address,

Search a last name

Or select a neighborhood

Recent posts

Lawrence Warshaw, 78

3 days, 11 hours ago

Alan Thomas, 51

3 days, 11 hours ago

Bobby Khamvongsa, 27

4 days, 11 hours ago

Aldo Zambrano, 24

5 days, 11 hours ago

Patrick Lister, 31

5 days, 11 hours ago