A Gretna woman was arrested as a principal to second-degree murder, accused of luring a man to his death at the hands of her boyfriend.
Patricia Lopez Melgar, 25, had been involved in an off-and-on affair with the 39-year-old homicide victim for several months before he was shot and killed outside of her Gretna Boulevard apartment Wednesday evening, said Gretna Police Deputy Chief Jason DiMarco.
Authorities have not released the victim's name because they are still trying to notify his next-of-kin, the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office said.
Police also have not named the suspected shooter in the case, Lopez's boyfriend. He had not yet been arrested as of Friday evening, according to authorities.
The shooting was reported just before 7:30 p.m. at the Boulevard Apartment Homes. Lopez lived there with the suspected shooter, who is also the father of her two children, DiMarco said.
Before the shooting, Lopez sent text messages to the victim asking him to stop by her apartment, according to authorities.
Police can't say for sure whether the purpose of the texts was a confrontation between the victim and Lopez's boyfriend, according to DiMarco. But authorities said they are sure Lopez knew her boyfriend was home when she asked the victim to come over.
After the victim arrived at the apartment complex and parked, Lopez's boyfriend got into the victim's vehicle, DiMarco said. The two men began brawling inside the car.
Police found evidence of a lengthy fight, including a broken rearview mirror, ripped canopy and shoe marks on the dashboard, according to authorities.
A gunshot went off inside the vehicle, though it doesn't appear that the victim was hit, DiMarco said. He got out and took off running. But the suspect followed, caught up to the victim and shot him several times, DiMarco said.
When police arrived on the scene a short time later, they found the victim lying wounded in the grass. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspected shooter fled from apartment complex on foot, DiMarco said.
Lopez wasn't in the vehicle but was present for the fight and shooting, according to authorities. She didn't call police to report the homicide. Investigators later determined her connection to the case and took her into custody a day later at a relative's home in Metairie.
Lopez was being held without bail Friday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. No other information was available.
Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to call the Gretna Police Department at 504-366-4374. The public can also call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an indictment.