Mayor of California Town Reportedly Shot and Killed by His Wife

Daniel Crespo, the mayor of Bell Gardens, California was shot and killed at his home on Tuesday night. His wife was arrested for the crime, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department told the Los Angeles Times Crespo, 45, was shot by his wife, Levette Crespo, after an argument broke out in their home:

An altercation began with Crespo and his wife in the master bedroom, during which his son, Daniel, intervened, [spokesperson Nicole Nishida] said. While father and son were fighting, Crespo’s wife got a gun and shot Crespo, Nishida said. Crespo died en route to a hospital, Bell Gardens Fire Department officials confirmed.

Crespo’s wife is in custody in the shooting.

Crespo son was taken to a hospital for injuries to his face from the struggle and was then questioned by authorities, according to sheriffs officials.

State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and state Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) called Crespo’s death a “shocking and a tremendous loss for our close-knit community” in a joint statement. “Mayor Crespo was a respected public servant who dedicated his life to protecting and helping others in southeast Los Angeles and throughout the region,” they said.

Crespo was born in Brooklyn; he married his wife, his high school sweetheart, in 1986. They have two children.

Image via AP Images.