On September 4, 2023, in Harbor City, California, 21-year-old Carlos Loera and his partner, 18-year-old Ashley Guzman, were fatally shot while seated in their parked vehicle on the 1000 block of 253rd Street. Their one-year-old child, secured in a car seat in the back, was also struck by gunfire but survived the injuries. Loera was pronounced dead at the scene, and Guzman succumbed to her injuries at a nearby hospital.
In January 2024, Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested 20-year-old Dion Johnson of Wilmington in connection with this case. Johnson faces charges of murder and attempted murder for the shootings and is being held in lieu of a $13.4 million bail.
Investigators believe that on the evening of September 4, 2023, Johnson approached the couple's parked vehicle and opened fire, striking all three occupants. While Loera and Guzman died from their injuries, the child was treated at the hospital and survived.
Johnson is also connected to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Joseph Saldana in San Pedro on September 30, 2023. Saldana was at a family party at a residence in the 1200 block of North Park Western Drive when the gunman opened fire, killing the teen and wounding three others, all of whom were hospitalized in stable condition after the shooting.
The arrest of Dion Johnson has brought some relief to the community, though the motive behind these tragic incidents remains under investigation. Authorities continue to seek information from the public to ensure justice is fully served.
