Richard Mata,Va’afatu Mativa Obituary, Death; – Authorities have reported that two men who lost their lives in Carson over the weekend may have fatally shot each other.
The deceased individuals, identified by the Medical Examiner’s office as Richard Mata, aged 44, and Va’afatu Mativa, aged 18, were recognized by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s gang unit as members of rival gang factions with a history of conflict, according to Lt. Steven De Jong.
The incident occurred around 11:35 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, when Mativa was outside and Mata was inside a vehicle in the 100 block of West 234th Street.
While the exact circumstances leading to the shooting remain unclear, investigators suspect that the two men exchanged gunfire, resulting in Mata’s vehicle rolling across Main Street, jumping a curb, and ultimately colliding with a parked car in the 100 block of East 234th Street.
Investigators believe that Mata and Mativa were not acquainted prior to the incident, as stated by De Jong. Mata was a resident of the area, while Mativa, who has significant family connections in the neighborhood, was reportedly not residing there at the time; he was identified as living in Gardena.
Multiple firearms were recovered by investigators, according to De Jong. Family members of both individuals arrived at the scene over the weekend, as reported by KTLA. Mata’s family described him as a father of three who had recently returned to Carson from Arizona, while Mativa’s relatives mentioned that he was on dialysis and had recently received a kidney transplant.
Homicide detectives are urging anyone who may have witnessed the shooting to reach out to the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be provided by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or visiting lacrimestoppers.org.
