Three Charged In MTV Employee Shooting

Los Angeles police arrested three people May 11 in connection with 10 armed robberies and two deaths including the fatal shooting of MTV music and production coordinator Gabriel Ben-Meir May 8.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said the suspects targeted people walking alone in the early morning hours.

“We certainly believe they had indiscriminate selection of their victims,” Beck said. “They were absolute random crimes.”

Ben-Meir, who worked on several MTV shows including “Punk’d” and “Top Pop Group,” was found face down in a pool of blood just a few steps from his apartment.

Beck said police have recovered a shotgun allegedly used in Ben-Meir’s death and that of another man shot and killed April 30. Other evidence including a video from one of the robberies allegedly ties the suspects to the crimes.

The suspects’ arraignment has reportedly been postponed until June 2.