911 Call Released in Bell Gardens Mayor's Shooting

The couple's son tells the dispatcher his mother "was defending herself" and she was "upstairs crying" after the shooting

The panicked son of Bell Gardens Mayor Daniel Crespo told a 911 dispatcher his mother "was defending herself" when she fatally shot her husband last week, according to an emergency call obtained by NBC4 on Tuesday.

In the call, Crespo's son can be heard crying as he tells the dispatcher what happened.

"My parents got in an argument, and there were shots fired," he tells the dispatcher.

The 45-year-old mayor was shot Sept. 30 at the family's condominium in the 6300 block of Gage Avenue. Authorities say Crespo's wife, Lyvette, 43, shot him multiple times after he punched their 19-year-old son, Daniel Jr., in the face.

"Okay, where is your friend, the one that got shot? Where is he at?" the dispatcher asks in the 911 call.

"It's my father. He's in the house, OK? It wasn't my mom's fault," Daniel Jr. replies. "She was defending herself."

When the dispatcher asks where his mother is, he replies, "She's upstairs, she's crying... The gun is on the floor upstairs. Please get here."

After the shooting, Daniel Jr. and Lyvette Crespo were questioned by police for several hours, but both were released that night. Lyvette Crespo remains free as authorities investigate the shooting.

No charges have been filed as of Tuesday.

Lyvette Crespo's lawyer describes her as a longtime victim of domestic violence, but her brother-in-law says the allegations shocked him and he feels conflicted about what happened.

"He loved (his family) more than life. He loved his wife a lot, he always loved his wife," William Crespo told NBC4 last week.

"If it was that, she should've called 911. She shouldn't take matters into her own hands. She's not the cops," Crespo said in a separate interview. "I love her; I still love her. She's still my sister-in-law; I'm always going to love her."

Claudia Osuna, the attorney for children Daniel Jr. and Crystal, said the brother and sister had a difficult life at their Bell Gardens home.

"Right now, the children stand behind their mother. They are grieving the loss of their father, and they will cooperate — specifically, Daniel will cooperate — with law enforcement," Osuna said.

The shooting stunned the community of Bell Gardens, where residents described Crespo as a friendly man who "just helped so many people."

Contact Us