Woman who grew up in Morro Bay shot dead in Hollywood

July 7, 2015

A 30-year-old woman who grew up in Morro Bay died Sunday night after a man approached her from behind on a street in Hollywood and shot her in the back of the head. [NBC LA]

Carrie Jean Melvin, 30, was walking with her boyfriend on McCadden Place near Sunset Boulevard around 10 p.m. The gunman, who remains at large, fired only the shot that killed Melvin and then fled in a black car.

The boyfriend, who was not injured in the attack, told police that no words were exchanged prior to the shooting. The couple was walking to a restaurant at the time.

Melvin moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in the entertainment industry after studying film and digital media production at University of California Santa Cruz. Her family still lives in Morro Bay.

“She lit up a room. She was bright and multi-talented,” said Bernard Melvin, Carrie’s father. “It’s the call that no parent wants to get.”

Bernard Melvin said her daughter was in a happy relationship with her boyfriend. Police say they don’t know of any reasons someone would attack her.

Investigators say about a dozen homicides have taken place within a mile of Sunday’s killing over the past year. None of the previous cases have similarities, though.

The gunman is described as a man in his 20s who was wearing a hood. Investigators are requesting that additional witnesses come forward and contact LAPD.