Thursday, August 27, 2009

Valencia, CA: Valencia shooter identified


The 79-year-old man died of his self-inflicted wound, estranged wife expected to survive

Coroner’s officials on Tuesday identified a 79-year-old man whom investigators said killed himself after shooting his estranged wife at least twice in his Valencia condominium.

Herbert Nieto died hours after the Monday night shooting, said Ed Winter, assistant chief of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner. The victim, whose name was not released, survived with bullet wounds to her arm and buttocks.

The couple had been legally separated for about a decade, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Darren Harris.

About 7 p.m. Monday, Nieto fired several shots inside the condominium unit, wounding the woman. She ran outside and screamed for help, witnesses said.

Nieto shot himself in the head as sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene moments later. He and the victim were rushed to a local hospital, where Nieto died.

This marked the third deadly domestic-violence incident in the last two months.

On Aug. 9, sheriff’s detectives said a 22-year-old man strangled his girlfriend in her Canyon Country bedroom. In mid-July, another Canyon Country man strangled his wife and hanged himself as the couple went through a divorce.

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