Couple Die in Possible Murder-Suicide

An estranged husband and wife were discovered dying of gunshot wounds to their chests Tuesday on the grass parkway of a Compton home, authorities said.

Maria Cervantes, 43, and Raul Cervantes, 46, were found about 5:45 a.m. in the 800 block of North Thorson Avenue, said sheriff’s Det. Toni Martinez.

They were taken to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead, Martinez said.

A semiautomatic handgun was lying beside them in front of Maria Cervantes’ home, Martinez said.

The shootings, which were reported by neighbors, appeared to be a murder-suicide, Martinez said.

But, she said, “We are still investigating, and at this point we’re not ruling anything out.”