Police release wife after US Mayor shot dead
The wife suspected of shooting and killing the mayor of a US city has been released after hours of questioning.
A Sheriff’s Department statement said no arrests will be made at this time over the death of Daniel Crespo, mayor of Bell Garden, Los Angeles County.
The statement said the facts of the investigation will be turned over to prosecutors who will decide whether to file charges.
Mr Crespo reportedly got into an argument with his wife Levette, and their 19-year-old son intervened. Mr Crespo and the son began fighting and Ms Crespo got a gun and shot her husband several times, officers said.
The 45-year-old mayor died in hospital and his wife, 43, was detained for questioning.
Mr Crespo and his wife were high school sweethearts who married in 1986. They met in New York, according to a biography on the city’s website.
Bell Gardens is a suburb of about 43,000 people 18 miles south-east of Los Angeles. Mr Crespo was elected to the City Council in 2001. The council is a part-time job and members take turns serving as mayor.
The city’s website displayed an image of a black bow and a statement from stand-in mayor Priscilla Flores and three council members that said the shooting does not appear to be related to Mr Crespo’s mayoral activities.
“Our thoughts and prayers should be with Mayor Crespo’s family at this tragic time,” the statement said.
Mr Crespo was a county deputy probation officer for 15 years, according to the website. However, county chief executive Bill Fujioka said in a Twitter posting that he had more than 21 years with the probation department.
