Two of three men shot to death in a Compton park are officially identified

Two of the three people shot to death at a Compton park earlier this week were officially identified Thursday as a 21-year-old homeless man and a 22-year-old man who lived near the area.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Juan Lara, of Compton, and Andrew Moreno, who was homeless, were among the three killed at Raymond Street Park. The third victim’s identity has yet to be released.

The bodies of the men were found sometime before 11 p.m. Tuesday inside a small utility room connected to two bathrooms at the park, authorities have said.

At least one of the men appeared to be living in the room where they were found, investigators said. Bullet casings littered the floor along with clothing and other personal belongings.

The park is part of Richland Farms, a 10-square-block, semi-rural community in Compton where residents own 1- or 2-acre properties and keep animals such as chickens and goats.

Earlier this week, Lara’s mother, Luz, told The Times that her family kept calling the city to complain about graffiti, but officials would show up to clean up only the spray-painted areas at the park. Two months ago, someone shot at their truck parked out front. Then someone broke the windows on Juan Lara’s car.

She said detectives had notified her privately that her son was among those killed.

As investigators combed the scene Wednesday, a woman ran toward the park crying, hoping to find out if one of the victims was her boyfriend. She told the deputies that she had just seen a video online of the woman who discovered the bodies and mentioned the name of one of the victims.

“I just heard ‘Andrew’ and stopped watching,� she told a deputy.

“He’s my boyfriend,� she said. “He has a tattoo of my name on his arm.�

The deputy listened.

“He’s always here, always in that little shed. He sleeps there sometimes,� she said, crying.

Anyone with information about the slayings is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Times staff writer Jack Leonard contributed to this report.

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