Man Charged With Gunning Down Girlfriend's Estranged Wife In Granada Hills

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A man arrested in the killing of a young mother outside her Granada Hills home back in July was dating her estranged wife, authorities said.

Javier Flores, 24, was taken into custody last month in the shooting death of 23-year-old Cheyenne Brown as she was arriving home from work.

On Monday, Flores was charged with one count of murder with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, as well as an allegation of using a handgun, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office reports.

On the night of July 22, Flores shot and killed Brown next to her car in the 16600 block of Chatsworth Street, Los Angeles police said. She was returning from work and had parked feet away from the backyard door to a home she shared with her grandparents.

Her grandfather, Bill Schroeder, told CBS2 at the time that he heard three gunshots and ran outside to find his Brown lying in the alley behind their home.

On Sept. 12, Flores was taken into custody at his Simi Valley home during a series of raids on multiple locations in Granada Hills and Mission Hills.

Prosecutors Monday disclosed that Flores' girlfriend was Brown's estranged wife. No further details or a motive were disclosed.

Flores, who is set to be arraigned Monday, could face the death penalty if convicted as charged.

Flores left behind a two-year-old daughter. She was a security guard for a gated community and a competitive roller sports athlete. Just days prior to her murder, she had placed fifth in a figure skating competition at the 2019 USA Roller Sports National Championships in Spokane, Wash.