Local News in Brief : 5 Linked to Gang Are Held in Beating Death

An 18-year-old man and four juveniles have been charged with murdering a Sun Valley man who was robbed and beaten while walking home, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.

Bernardo Soto of Sun Valley was being held without bail at San Fernando Jail, and the four juveniles, ages 15 to 17, were being held at Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, police said.

Police said the suspects are members or associates of a Sun Valley gang who confronted Carlos A. Cardoza, 26, and a friend as they were walking on Strathern Street near Bellingham Avenue about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Cardoza’s friend, whom police declined to identify, ran away.

Police said Cardoza was robbed and severely beaten, dying later at Pacifica Hospital of the Valley in Sun Valley.

“There were nine people in the group and five people actively participated in the beating,” said Sgt. Ray Davies. “They did not know the victim. He was just walking home. It was a robbery where the violence got out of hand.”

Davies said one member of the gang was arrested in an unrelated robbery later Sunday and gave police information about the Cardoza killing. He said the suspects were arrested during the early part of the week and murder charges were filed against them Tuesday and Wednesday.