LAKEWOOD — An attack inside a Lakewood Walmart Tuesday resulted in the second slaying to occur in the normally quiet community within less than 48 hours.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide detectives were sent to the Walmart, at 2770 Carson St., late Tuesday after an assault turned deadly.
Sheriff's deputies from the Lakewood Station were called to the store at about 4:25 p.m. following an attack, said Deputy Mark Pope.
Authorities released few details about the incident Tuesday, but did confirm that a man, described as white, was pronounced dead at the store and another white male, age 47, was being detained pending further investigation.
Sheriff's Homicide Lt. Eddie Hernandez said the attack was captured on surveillance equipment and it appeared to be unprovoked.
Though many witnesses said the suspect looked homeless, that had not been confirmed, the lieutenant said.
"The victim was attacked in the sporting goods section," Hernandez said. "The suspect approached him and started to attack him with a baseball bat, causing severe head trauma."
The 47-year-old suspect was still being questioned as of 8:30 p.m. and had not been booked, Hernandez said.
The business was evacuated and the area was swarming with sheriff's deputies as employees and customers were
Food was brought out for those required to stay for the investigation.
"I think it was a customer who died," said a customer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The slaying marked the second violent death in the city in less than two days.
According to FBI crime statistics, there were no homicides reported in Lakewood last year and only one homicide was listed for all of 2009.
However, the Lakewood Walmart is no stranger to police activity. Sheriff's deputies were there in August and had to use non-lethal beanbag rounds to stop a man who was brandishing knives inside the store.
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The officer-involved shooting at the Walmart occurred in August, after 33-year-old Lucious Wilson of Long Beach brandished two knives while ranting incoherently at a woman inside the McDonald's located within the Walmart
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Wilson was then taken into custody and placed on a psychiatric hold.
Anyone with information about Tuesday's slaying was urged to call the Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.
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