3 Arrested in Attempted Drug Theft, Shooting

Three suspects were arrested Thursday on charges of shooting a man while trying to steal up to half a ton of marijuana from him, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.

The victim was wounded in the arm and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was listed in good condition, said Deputy Joan Raber. When he is ready to be released, he will be booked for possession of marijuana with intent to sell, she said.

Three of his four alleged attackers were arrested on charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, Raber said. A fourth man eluded authorities, she said. None was immediately identified.

Sheriff’s deputies stumbled onto the drug supply while responding to reports of shots being fired about 10 a.m. at a house in the 3200 block of Burton Avenue, Raber said.

A sheriff’s helicopter crew saw four men running from the house, and when deputies arrived, they found the wounded man, she said. They also found the drug cache--between 500 and 1,000 pounds of marijuana--divided between the house and a truck parked in the driveway, she said.