Calabasas Man Charged in Slaying of High School Soccer Goalie

Earlier story:

A 24-year-old Calabasas man was charged Wednesday with murder in connection with the shooting of a popular El Camino Real High School student and soccer goalie outside his family's home.

Jason Schumann appeared in Van Nuys Superior Court, but his arraignment
was postponed until Feb. 2. The murder charge against him includes a gun-use
allegation, indicating he is the suspected gunman in the killing.

A second suspect in the killing, 19-year-old Elizabeth Ibarra, was not charged, but remained jailed on an alleged probation violation.

The pair are suspected in the Jan. 11 shooting death of Francisco "Pancho" Rodriguez, who was killed in front of a home in the 6900 block of Cozycroft Avenue in Winnetka.

Rodriguez had returned home from a soccer game during which El Camino Real played Taft High School to a scoreless tie. Police said a red-haired woman or girl knocked on the family's door around 6 p.m. and asked for the teen by name. When he went outside, he was shot and fatally wounded.

While announcing the arrests Tuesday, Los Angeles police Deputy Chief Jorge Villegas declined to give a purported motive for the killing, saying only, "We believe it was personally motivated." He said the shooting was not believed to be gang-related.

Police sources told the Daily News and Los Angeles Times, however, that Rodriguez may have been in a love triangle -- becoming involved with a woman with a jealous male friend.

The deputy chief said investigators were led to the suspects by anonymous tips and help from the victim's family, Los Angeles School Police and Los Angeles Unified School District officials.

A 15-member LAPD task force made the arrests after tracking down the green Ford Explorer witnesses saw fleeing the murder scene, according to the Times.

"This case is far from being over," Villegas said. "There's a specific anonymous tip that came to us, and we need that person to come forward, identify himself or herself, and provide us with additional information that we need to further solidify this case."

Villegas said Schumann and Ibarra "have extensive rap sheets and both are currently on probation." Schumann's criminal history includes assault with a deadly weapon, battery, drug charges and forgery while Ibarra's rap sheet lists forgery, battery on police officer, resisting arrest and identity theft.

-- City News Service