Coroner Revises Data on Violent Deaths

Last weekend was a bad one for homicides in Los Angeles County, but not as bad as previously reported.

The coroner’s office on Wednesday revised its figures, saying that there had been 20 homicides between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday. Officials had previously said there were 29 killings during that period.

“The figures are still higher than normal,� said coroner’s spokesman Scott Carrier. “Our average is 4.9 a day.� The discrepancy, Carrier said, was because of the erroneous inclusion of homicides actually reported Thursday.

Names of two of the victims of the weekend violence, originally withheld, were released by the coroner’s office Wednesday.

Gabriel Barraza died of gunshot wounds in San Fernando on Saturday night, just hours before his 20th birthday. Police said he was found slumped in the driver’s seat of a car parked on Fox Street. No arrests have been made.

A man killed by shotgun fire in North Hollywood was identified as Ronald Wayne Wanek, 36. Wanek died in front of a home in the 11300 block of Miranda Street in North Hollywood. The resident of the home told police that Wanek and another man broke in and attacked him with a club and machete.

The resident grabbed a shotgun, he told officials, and opened fire, killing Wanek and wounding the other alleged home invader.