A 31-year-old man was killed in a drive-by shooting as he stood holding a machete in front of a pay telephone in Montecito Heights, authorities said.
The man was acting strange shortly before the 4:40PM shooting, repeating in Spanish, “I’m looking for death” and pacing in front of a phone in the 3600 block of Pasadena Avenue, police said.

The man had beaten the receiver against the console until it broke. Los Angeles police later recovered a second machete from behind the phone.

Witnesses told police that a gray Honda sedan pulled up to the sidewalk near the phone, multiple shots were fired and the victim dropped to the ground. A male with a shaved head climbed into the passenger side of the car before it sped away, witnesses also said.
—L.A. Times, 2/21/08

(Steve’s note: Never stand in front of a payphone shouting, “I’m looking for death,” in the Hood, while holding a machete.)