Produce Vendor Shot to Death in His Truck

A Canoga Park-based produce vendor was fatally shot in the cab of his truck Thursday night, apparently as he returned from his route, Los Angeles police said.

Procoro Ortega Rojas, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene from a single wound to the upper body, Detective Michael Brandt said.

The shooting occurred about 9:10 p.m. near the intersection of Independence Avenue and Community Street, where Rojas and his son, Jaime, 32, park their trucks.

Brandt said investigators have ruled out robbery and were searching for a possible motive in the killing of Rojas, who appeared to be well-liked.

The vendor was found by his son, who ran outside to his truck in response to the gunfire.

“It’s senseless; that’s the best I can tell you,” Brandt said, adding that the shooting happened so quickly that Rojas probably “was totally unaware of what happened.”