A gunman who fired at a bicyclist but mistakenly shot and killed a 26-year-old woman inside her Compton home remained at large Tuesday afternoon.

The victim, identified as Candice Barcenas, heard gunfire from inside her house in the 200 block of North Spring Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Barcenas looked outside from behind a screen door when the gunfire erupted, according to a sheriff’s news release.

That’s when Barcenas was hit by a stray bullet about 9:08 p.m.


Barcenas, who sustained a single gunshot wound, was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Detectives learned that the 20-year-old man on the bicycle was not injured, according to the release. A second victim, identified as a 32-year-old man, was struck by the gunfire but later released from an area hospital.

This year, four homicides were reported within a mile of the shooting, the last involving a 22-year-old man on April 14. Since 2007, 101 homicides have been reported within a mile of Monday’s shooting, according to the Los Angeles Times Homicide Report.

Police didn’t have any additional information on the suspect. The investigation is continuing.


Anyone with information is asked to call LASD’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.