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North Carolina Man Fatally Shot While Walking In Sylmar Neighborhood

SYLMAR (CBSLA.com) — A recent transplant to Southern California was shot to death Friday while walking in a Sylmar neighborhood.

The 29-year-old man, who recently moved to California from North Carolina, was shot to death at about 1:40 a.m. near Fenton Avenue and Fernmont Street, according to Los Angeles police spokesman Lt. Paul Vernon. The man, whose name was not released pending family notification, was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Neighbors who heard gunfire called police, and arriving officers found the man lying on the street, "yelling that he had been shot," Vernon said in a statement.

"He told police that the driver of a gray, American-made car got out of the car, then shot him," Vernon said. No description was available of the suspect.

"Our initial thoughts were the shooting was gang-related," Vernon said. "But after looking at the place, victim and other circumstances, the gang motive seems remote.

"The victim had no gang ties that we can find," Vernon said. "He had relocated from North Carolina about five months ago and worked behind the scenes in TV commercials with his girlfriend, who lived about one block away from where the shooting occurred."

Anyone with information about the crime was urged to call LAPD Detective Gene Parshall, (818)838-9954; or Crime Stoppers at (800)222-TIPS.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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