Three men have been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of Los Angeles singer Maria De La Rosa, who performed under the stage name DELAROSA.
The 22-year-old was sitting inside a parked car with two others in the Northridge neighbourhood on Saturday morning when three men allegedly approached and demanded money, according to prosecutors.
Moments later, the suspects opened fire, striking all three occupants. De La Rosa later died in hospital while the two surviving victims remain in critical condition.
Prosecutors named the suspects as Francisco Otilio Gaytan and Benny LiconGomez, both 27, who were arrested over the weekend, and 21-year-old Eduardo Lopez, for whom an arrest warrant has been issued.
All three men, who are from Northridge, face one felony count of murder and two felony counts of attempted second-degree robbery. Gaytan and LiconGomez are being held on multimillion-dollar bail and are due in court in the coming weeks, while Lopez's arraignment will be scheduled once he is located.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman condemned the killing in a statement, calling it a 'ruthless and targeted attack' that caused 'profound lifelong trauma' for the victims' families.
De La Rosa, who had more than 40,000 Instagram followers and released her latest single No Me Llames in August, received a wave of tributes online as news of her death spread.
Her mother, Deyanira De La Rosa, reshared messages from fans and friends as she called for answers, saying her daughter's life had been 'stolen far too soon.'
The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.
