An Inglewood man who died trying to shield his young children from a tenant's raging attack was identified by family members Sunday as Filimon Lamas.
The 33-year-old was killed in a hail of bullets allegedly loosed by Desmond John Moses, a 55-year-old who rented the house behind the small home where Lamas lived with his family.
Police said Moses, 55, set the back house where he lived on fire and then set upon the family early Saturday, firing at least ten shots.
Lamas' four-year-old son, who has not yet been identified, was also killed in the attack. His wife, 28-year-old Gloria Jimenez, was injured along with two other familiy members.
On Sunday, police said they found a body in the back house where Moses lived. But they had not identified the corpse as of 8 a.m.
Officials continued to search for Moses, whom they described as mentally unstable. Moses, who police said is of Haitian descent, was involved in a dispute with the family.
Police did not say what the nature of the dispute was, although a family member said it was over rent.
"This is horrific crime. It's just inexplicable why someone would do this, no matter how deranged they may be," Inglewood Police Chief Mark Fronterotta said.
"I am directly appealing to Mr. Moses to turn himself in," Fronterotta said Saturday. "At the same time, we are aggressively looking for Mr. Moses in connection with this crime."
The chief asked anyone with information about Moses, pictured at right, to call 310-412-5246 or 888-412-7463.
Earlier Saturday, Judy Castellanos, who has a daughter related to one of the victims, said the gunman had not paid his rent to the family. Police had been called several times in the past for disturbances, she said.
Amid the fire and bullets, Lamos tried desperately to shield his children.
His 4-year-old son, who has not yet been identified, was shot in the head and died in surgery.
Jiminez was hit in the legs, and she ran out into the street carrying the 4-year-old, collapsing after a police officer took the boy, Fronterotta said.
She was in critical but stable condition at UCLA Medical Center.
Two other children also suffered gunshot wounds and were also in critical but stable condition, police said.
"The fire had been started before the shooting, and then the suspect came into the house with a painter's mask on,'' said Fronterotta. "The father was in a position of shielding the children as officers came into the scene."
Police at one point evacuated homes and urged others to remain inside behind locked doors while they searched for the gunman, who was believed to be armed and possibly hiding in a house nearby, police said. Fronterotta said at a 6:30 p.m. press conference that the area was secured.
Moses was described as 5-foot-6, and 160 pounds. He was wearing a dark baseball cap, police said
Firefighters, responding to the blaze, were forced to wait because of the possibility that the gunman was in hiding and because of fears that live wires from downed power lines could harm firefighters attempting to douse the blaze, police said.
The other victims included a 6-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, Fronterotta said. The only one in the house not injured was an 8-year-old boy, he said.
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