Teen charged in shootings that left 4 dead

A 17-year-old boy was facing murder charges and other counts stemming from southeastern Los Angeles County shootings that left four people dead, and one of the other defendants in the case was charged along with another man of two additional killings, prosecutors said.

The teen was identified by the District Attorney's Office as Deair Fleming Delerence, who was charged in juvenile court with four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the two-day series of crimes that occurred Feb. 11-12.

In court this week, Delerence denied the criminal petition — the juvenile court equivalent of a not guilty plea.

Gary Garcia Jr., 42, and Timberland Wayne McKneely, 20, previously were charged with the same counts in connection with the shootings, which left three men and a 14-year-old boy dead.

Prosecutors announced Thursday that McKneely also has been charged along with 18-year-old Joseivan Mendoza with the killings of two other men, ages 30 and 28, in Cudahy and an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County on Nov. 24. Specific details of those shootings were not immediately available.

Mendoza has not been linked to the Feb. 11-12 killings.

“My heart remains with all the victims, their loved one, and the communities who have been affected by this senseless violence,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “My office is fully committed to ensuring that justice is served to all individuals responsible for these heinous murders. I join with all Los Angeles County residents in expressing my gratitude for the hardworking members of law enforcement who continue to investigate these horrific murders.”

The four people who died in the two-day shootings earlier this month were believed to have been targeted randomly, authorities said.

Garcia, McKneely and Mendoza could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged, Gascón said.