A man who was arrested and described by police as a "person of interest" in the fatal shooting of a 34-year-old man in Del Rey is no longer considered a suspect in the killing, police said Monday.
The shooting victim was identified Sunday as Michael John Baldwin by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. Baldwin was found dead Friday morning in the 5500 block of Margaret Avenue in Del Rey in a stolen Lexus. The cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death was ruled as a homicide, the coroner's office said.
A man who had been under police surveillance was arrested Friday after the shooting after leading police in a car chase in Inglewood, police said. The 43-year-old man allegedly fled police, crashed into a parked vehicle and then fled on foot before he was apprehended. He was arrested for investigation of felony evasion of arrest and was described Sunday night as a "person of interest" in the Del Rey homicide.
The man has been eliminated as a suspect in the homicide and is no longer a person of interest in the case, said Sgt. Mitzi Grasso, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department on Monday.
Baldwin was shot several times and multiple bullet casings were found outside the Lexus, which had been reported stolen a few weeks earlier in West Los Angeles. Baldwin was shot and killed on Margaret Avenue just north of Jefferson Boulevard and south of Juniette Street. Apartment complexes line the stretch of Jefferson Boulevard near where the shooting took place, but the neighborhood just north of the busy street consists mostly of quiet, single-family homes.
Mike was a great friend and were some of the funnest memories I have. He will be missed and everyone that knew Mike knows how loyal he was to his friends and family. He will be missed and the memories I will keep with me forever. He was always making people laugh and is humor was bar none. He leaves behind children and a huge family that will keep his memory alive. We know that he is in a better place now. We love you Mike and you will be missed beyond words. Thank you for all of the great memories I will still have many laughs with you because I will never forget. Those that had the chance to be close to you know what a great person you were beyond some hard years. It hurts that you are gone but your memories will help us all through. My deepest thoughts and prayers go to his family at this hard time. You were truly loved and admired by so many.