The Day The Music Died

"TORRANCE, CA - A long-running noise dispute between neighbors in a Torrance apartment complex ended over the weekend with a murder-suicide, neighbors and police said Monday.

"The shooter, Renzo Ramon Estrella, 46, lived directly upstairs from the victim, 39-year-old Michael Ronald Meeker.

"For about seven months, the men battled over peace and quiet, each complaining about the other, police and neighbors said.

"`It was a noise issue between these two,` said Cesar Rodriguez, general manager of the Carioca Garden Apartments in the 4000 block of 242nd Street. `We talked to both of them and told them to respect each other.`

"According to neighbors, Estrella - who seemed to work at home - complained about his downstairs neighbor's loud music. Meeker became upset because his upstairs neighbor stomped around above him.

"Not long ago, Meeker fell from a chair and tore ankle ligaments as he pounded on his ceiling in anger, neighbors said.

"The dispute turned deadly on Sunday afternoon when Estrella shot Meeker to death, raging about the music coming from Meeker's apartment, neighbors said.

"The neighbors said they heard Estrella cussing about the music before the shots rang out.

"Dianne Karjian said she heard a burst of five or six shots, a pause, and then four more shots.

"Police arrived to find the downstairs resident dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

"A special weapons team surrounded the complex and waited for a search warrant to enter Estrella's apartment.

"When they entered about 1 a.m. Monday, they found Estrella had killed himself."

Source: dailybreeze.com...