Day after San Fernando Valley murder spree, family and friends remember the victims

A day after police say a 26-year-old man killed four people and wounded two in a shooting rampage across the San Fernando Valley, neighbors, friends, activists, and co-workers remembered the victims, who included three members of the suspect’s own family.

Gerry Dean Zaragoza is accused of three separate shootings.

Police said he first killed his father and brother, whom the coroner’s office identified Friday as 56-year-old Carlos I. Zaragoza and 33-year-old Carlos Pierre Zaragoza, at the family’s Canoga Park apartment unit.

Injured in that shooting was Blanca Zaragoza, the suspect’s mother, according to neighbors.

Police said the shooter then drove to a North Hollywood gas station, where he gunned down a woman, who died and was identified Friday by the coroner’s office as Azucena Lepe, 45. Another man was shot multiple times but survived.

A coroner’s office spokeswoman said the final victim, who was shot in the head while riding an Orange Line bus in Lake Balboa, has not been identified, pending notification of his next of kin. He was described as a man in his 50s.

Michael Ramia, who owns American Carpet Cleaning in Northridge and employed the suspect’s father for the last 12 years, remembered Carlos I. Zaragoza as a cheerful and dedicated worker. So did others.

“He had a positive attitude every morning he came in, and wasn’t afraid to take more jobs even after he was done with his route,” said office manager Lisa Medina. “He rarely took days off.”

Ramia, who put on display a collage of photos in his office of the elder Zaragoza, said he knew there was turbulence with the man’s son.

“I think Carlos was scared of his son,” he said. “I knew there was an issue. His son was staying home not doing anything, not having any ambition, didn’t have any desire.”

Carlos Pierre Zaragoza, the suspected gunman’s brother, was remembered as an enthusiastic person and an active immigrant and workers’ rights organizer, as well as a musician.

Much of Carlos Pierre’s recent activism was done as a part of Service Employees International Union. In 2014, he was a part of a successful campaign to raise the minimum wage for Los Angeles Unified School District workers to $15 an hour, said Blanca Gallegos, spokeswoman for the union’s Local 99 chapter. At the time, the state’s minimum wage was still at $9 an hour.

Carlos Pierre also played a crucial part of a 2012 campaign to renegotiate contracts for janitors represented by the union, said David Huerta, who serves as president of SEIU United Service Workers West.

“His craft was being able to organize working people and his craft was also to create music for the masses,” Huerta said, referring to Carlos Pierre’s appearances with the Peruvian cumbia band La Chamba.

Melding his activism with his musical talents, Carlos Pierre frequented rally stages with the band.

Fellow local organizer Carlos Amador, who ran for Los Angeles City Council District 12 in June, remembered seeing Carlos Pierre playing music at fundraisers for immigrant youth. The two became friends in 2010 after meeting in immigrant rights circles.

The morning of the shooting, he remembered hearing the name of the suspected shooter broadcast on television — Zaragoza — and the location of the shooting — Canoga Park. He knew his friend lived there, but passed it off as happenstance.

“I either didn’t want to believe it, or I assumed it would’ve been too much of a coincidence,” Amador said.

Near the Zaragozas’ Canoga Park apartment building, mourners left a small memorial of flowers and candles outside the family’s unit, Room 24.

Neighbors said Blanca Zaragoza was the building’s manager. They said she could often be seen tidying up the small green space just in front of the apartment complex.

Yvette Hernandez, who lives just down the street, had just seen and greeted Carlos and Blanca Zaragoza at the grocery store on Tuesday.

“The sons went to the same elementary school as mine,” said Hernandez, a longtime Canoga Park resident, as she fought back tears.

“I have two grandchildren,” she said, “and I’m afraid of them growing up in this society.”

Blanca Zaragoza was injured in the shootings, but police said she was in stable condition. LAPD has not said whether she has been released from the hospital yet.

“I can’t believe this happened here,” said Kimberly Torres, who lives at the Roscoe Boulevard apartments with her young daughter.

Torres said the family was friendly, with Carlos Pierre Zaragoza being particularly outgoing. She said he once helped her jump-start her car.

At the North Hollywood gas station where the 45-year-old Lepe was fatally wounded during her early morning shift, mourners had also placed candles, flowers, and a picture of Lepe. Directly above the memorial, gray duct tape masked the bullet holes on the white gas station walls.

Lepe is survived by four children, according to a Gofundme page set up by Lepe’s sister, Consuelo Lepe Ayala.

At the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles, the suspect was being held without bail. He’s expected to appear in court next week.