The Board of Supervisors today renewed $10,000 rewards for information leading to arrests and convictions in two unrelated fatal shootings in Willowbrook and Long Beach. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas recommended extending the reward in the death of 25-year-old Wendell Lee, an aspiring pro basketball player shot to death in Willowbrook last fall. The reward had been set to expire May 15. Lee was gunned down late on the evening of Sept. 21 while standing with a friend outside her house on Elva Avenue just north of 123rd Street. Lee, who grew up in the Gardena area, had played college ball at
Colorado State University Pueblo. After graduating last year, he was in town to try out for the Lakers minor league “D” team. “The dreams the Lee family held for their son dissipated that night when a car pulled up, a man got out from the driver’s-side rear passenger door and shot Wendell multiple times with an assault-style rifle,” sheriff’s Deputy Lillian Peck said at a news conference last month. Lee tried to run, but was struck by multiple rounds and collapsed in a driveway. He was pronounced dead at St. Francis Medical Center. The suspect was described as a 20- to 28-year-old black man, 5 feet 9 to 5 feet 10 inches tall, who made his getaway in a silver 2003-2007 Saturn Vue “Red Line” edition. A witness said two other men were in the car. Anyone with more information was asked to call sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Hoglund at (323) 890-5500. Supervisor Don Knabe recommended extending the reward in the Long Beach shooting, which had been set to expire today. Shortly before 11 p.m. on July 25, 2014, Olataga Filemoni, 25, was talking with friends in front of his home in the 3200 block of Baltic Avenue when a compact car stopped in front of the house and someone inside shouted out a gang phrase, according to Long Beach police. No one in Filemoni’s group was in a gang, so they didn’t respond. Someone inside the car almost immediately opened fire, and Filemoni was struck several times. He died at a hospital three days later. Several people reported hearing shots, but no one has come forward with any suspect descriptions. Anyone with additional information was asked to call Long Beach police detectives Greg Krabbe or Mark McGuire at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips in either case can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or by texting TIPLA, plus the tip, to 274637
