

PALMDALE – A 7-year-old girl is in critical condition after she was wounded in a car-to-car shooting in Palmdale early this morning. A family member identified the victim as Desiree Macias and said she was shot in the head, according to NBC Los Angeles. Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting, which is being investigated by the Sheriff Department’s Operation Safe Streets (OSS) gang unit. The following is the press release from Lieutenant Glenn Brandon of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station.
On Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, at approximately 12:38 a.m., there was a verbal contact between the occupants of one car (suspects) and the occupants of a second car, which was a family including a 7-year old girl.
The family drove away from the gas station at Fort Tejon Rd and Pearblossom Hwy (“Four Points”) in Palmdale. The family was followed by a vehicle which contained several suspects.
As the family drove through the intersection at Sunburst Drive / Stratford Drive in the city of Palmdale, multiple gunshots rang out from the suspects’ vehicle towards the family’s vehicle. The suspects in their vehicle chased the family’s vehicle through a residential neighborhood firing several more times.
After evading the suspects’ vehicle, the family discovered their 7-year-old girl had sustained a gunshot wound and called for help. The child was transported to a hospital by Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel. She is described as being in extremely critical condition.
A short time after the shooting, a sheriff’s deputy was patrolling the surrounding neighborhood and saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspects’ vehicle. A felony traffic stop was conducted by deputies, and three suspects were detained without incident. All three suspects were booked at Palmdale Sheriff’s Station for attempted murder.
Multiple crime scenes are being held for investigation and the processing of evidence.
It is not yet clear as to the motivation for the shooting or if there was any type of confrontation at the gas station prior to the shooting.
If you have any information about this incident, please contact Palmdale Sheriff’s Station detectives at 661-272-2400. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Editor’s Note: We’ll update this story as more information becomes available.
UPDATED @ 12 p.m. 9/4/13: Due to the extremely critical condition of the 7-year-old girl, homicide detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are now handling the investigation. This according to an updated LASD press release issued just moments ago. Larger news outlets are reporting that the shooting left the child brain dead, and that family members will soon be removing the child from life support.
UPDATED @ 10:30 a.m. 9/5/13: SUSPECTS NAMED
Detectives have named the three suspects arrested in connection with the shooting of 7-year-old DESIREE MACIAS, which occurred in the 5100 block of Essex Drive in Palmdale.
22-year-old Palmdale resident JESUS PERALTA; 19-year-old Palmdale resident CARLOS PERALTA; and 20-year-old Littlerock resident EDUARDO DIAZ were arrested early Wednesday morning and booked at Palmdale Sheriff’s Station for attempted murder. Each suspect is being held in lieu of $1 million bail. Their booking photos are not being released at this time.
Detectives are not looking for any additional suspects.
Macias was still listed in extremely critical condition as of Thursday morning. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
UPDATED @ 8 a.m., 9/6/13: GIRL HAS DIED
7-year-old Desirae Macias of Palmdale was pronounced dead at 11:28 p.m. Thursday night, according to LA County Chief Coroner Ed Winter. [Her name is actually spelled Desirae not Desiree, Winter said.]
UPDATED @ 2:35 p.m, 9/6/13. According to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, doctors pronounced the child brain dead late last night, but she remains on life support. We contacted the LA County Coroners office again, and Chief Ed Winter said the case was reported to the coroner’s office around 11:28 p.m. Thursday. However, the discrepancy could be due to the fact that the child is being keep on life support to allow for her organs to be harvested.
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