Los Angeles

2 Women Arrested in North Hollywood Liquor Store Slaying

Both women were being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

Police Wednesday confirmed the arrests of two women in the shooting death of an employee during a robbery at a North Hollywood liquor store.

Mohammed Kalam, 61, of North Hollywood, was gunned down about 11:50 p.m. Saturday during a robbery of the Liquor Mart at Sherman Way and Bellaire Avenue.

Rosa Barrientos, 21, of Los Angeles and Maria Inzunza, 25, of Hollywood were arrested Tuesday and booked on suspicion of murder, according to Los Angeles Police Department Detective Steve Castro.

Officers were dispatched to the liquor store in response to robbery and assault with a deadly weapon calls, according to Sgt. Tom Holder of the LAPD's North Hollywood station.

"It appears that it was a robbery -- and something that had occurred during the robbery ... caused the victim to be shot,'' he said.

Customers and neighboring business operators said Kalam, a native of Bangladesh, had worked the late shift at the liquor store for many years.

Both women, who were arrested in Hollywood, were being held at the Van Nuys jail in lieu of $2 million bail, according to the sheriff's department.

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Detectives plan to submit their case to the district attorney's office on Thursday, according to Officer Jenny Houser of the LAPD's Media Relations Section.

A check of the sheriff's online inmate database turned up records of six arrests for Inzunza, four for alleged felonies, dating back to October 2014.

Her most recent arrest was on Sept. 16 for allegedly being in possession of a controlled substance for sale. Inzunza's bail was set at $30,000 in that case and she was released on Sept. 20, according to the sheriff's department.

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