Two men are in stable condition and one is in critical care after an overnight shooting at a nightclub in Huntington Park on Tuesday, according to authorities.
Huntington Park Police confirmed that a suspect is at large even as they arrested another man near the crime scene on unrelated charges.
Police said they received a call of a disturbance at 1:36 a.m. at El Kalua’s Night Club on Pacific Boulevard, the city’s main thoroughfare.
They arrived to find three men shot, according to Huntington Park Commander Kenneth Rulon. The three, who were not publicly identified, were taken to a local hospital, where initially two were in critical condition. One victim has since been upgraded to stable, according to Rulon.
Rulon said the shooting was not believed to be gang-related, but authorities were looking for a man who may have been involved. They did not release a name or full description of the person being sought.
Although there were witnesses, no weapon has been recovered, according to Rulon.
While police were marking the perimeter of the crime scene shortly around 2 a.m., they witnessed a male flee, according to Rulon.
The man, whom police identified as 32-year-old Alexander Esparza, fled two blocks, partially on bike and then on foot, before climbing to the second story roof of a building, according to Rulon. He was eventually talked down and arrested around 4:15 a.m., Rulon said.
“It’s one of those funny stories where you’re looking for one suspect and you find a felon on the run,” Rulon said. “That was unexpected.”
Esparza is not a suspect in this shooting, according to Rulon. But he does face outstanding warrants for a previous burglary and grand theft auto, according to Rulon and court records. He was also booked for evading arrest, Rulon said.
“When he saw the police, he must have assumed we were after him,” Rulon said.
Esparza remains in a city jail while his bail was set at $130,000.
