By Ryan Deto

Raul Valentin, a 17-year-old Latino man, was shot in the head on February 9 in the 800 block of West 88th Street.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the shooter drove by and spotted Valentin, exited the vehicle, shot the victim and drove off.

LAPD officials said that Valentin was shot around 3:40 p.m. Shortly after, he was taken to California Hospital Medical Center, where he died the next day on February 10.

The neighborhood where the killing happened is sandwiched between a busy section of South Vermont Avenue, home to multiple restaurants and a community center, and Manchester Avenue Elementary School.

According to authorities, the suspect was described as a male driving a light-colored sedan. It was unclear whether the shooter was a part of a gang, but Valentin was a documented gang member and LAPD believed the shooting to be gang-related.

Note: Due to technical difficulties, the LA Weekly's archive of all homicides within Los Angeles city limits was discontinued near the end of last year. We will be rolling out the 2011 homicides, one by one, until our “Murder was the Case” archive is up to date. Thanks for your patience.

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