The mayor of Bell Gardens, California, was shot and killed by his wife during an alleged domestic altercation on Tuesday, CNN reported.
Daniel Crespo, 45, and his wife, Levette, were arguing Tuesday afternoon when their 19-year-old son stepped in to stop them, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. When the father and the son began physically fighting, the wife got a handgun and shot Crespo several times in the upper body. Crespo was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Levette Crespo, 43, was taken into custody by police, but she was not charged. They also didn't say what could have sparked the couple's argument.
Crespo and his wife met in high school and married in 1986. According to a biography on the city's website, they met in New York.
Bell Gardens is a suburb of about 43,000, and is located about 18 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Crespo was elected to the City Council in 2001. The council is a part-time job and members serve as mayor on a rotating basis.
On Tuesday night, the city's page had an image of a black bow and a statement from Mayor Pro Tem Priscilla Flores and three council members that said the shooting and Crespo's mayoral activities don't seem to be related.
"Our thoughts and prayers should be with Mayor Crespo's family at this tragic time," the statement said.
Crespo had been a county deputy probation officer for 15 years, according to the website. However, county CEO Bill Fujioka stated on Twitter that Crespo had worked at the probation department for more than 21 years.
