Center Street Residents "in Shock" by Homicide

Some residents of the Baldwin Park neighborhood where the city's was reported are having a hard time describing the astonishment of knowing that a person was shot to death.

"I am in shock, I can't believe that something like this would happen almost in front of my house." said Martín Castillo, a resident of the neighborhood, while carrying his newborn baby in his arms as he told Patch about the incident.

"This is a very quiet neighborhood, and I think what would have happened if a stray bullet had hit my house," he added.

Like Castillo, many residents of this neighborhood, a modern area lined with villa-style houses and a cul-de-sac, expressed their shock at hearing about the tragedy.

On June 25, 20-year-old Guillermo Reyes was shot near the corner of Center and Fountain streets. Authorities have not disclosed any further information about the incident. It is still unknown if the shooting was gang-related, retaliatory or a botched robbery.

Jessica Acevedo, a resident of Villas Fountain, said that the victim did not live in the neighborhood because they had never heard of him before.

"In the morning [of the day of the shooting] the streets were closed, and that's how we found out," explained Acevedo. "I am surprised by this, and the truth is that we are scared, especially those of us with children," she added.

"It is terrible. This is a very quiet place, the only noise we hear is the neighbors' dogs," said Lowell Ines, another resident of the housing complex. "It is shocking to know this happened."

Although Reyes is the only homicide victim in the city so far, other failed murders have taken place. At the beginning of the month,

A man survived a shooting and another was stabbed in the neck several times.

Last year, the city reported only one homicide, and in 2010 there were only two in Baldwin Park.

"These things are scary, you don't know what can happen at any given time," said a resident who asked to remain anonymous. "It can be nice and calm, but gang members or assailants can move throughout the city if they want," the person added.

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