Father of 3 shot by mom's new boyfriend during custody exchange in Granada Hills, police say

GRANADA HILLS, Calif. (FOX 11) - A 37-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday morning with wounds he suffered in a shooting that took place during a custody exchange in Granada Hills, authorities said.

The victim was found about 7:50 p.m. Monday in the 16800 block of Chatsworth Street, between Reseda Boulevard and Wilbur Avenue, according to Officer Jeff Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section.

The victim was at the location to pick up his three children from his ex-girlfriend when the two began arguing, police said. The victim spotted the woman's new boyfriend sitting in a car nearby and rammed the man's vehicle, at which time the boyfriend opened fire on the man.

Police arrested the boyfriend, identified by authorities as 29-year-old Ernesto Lopez, on suspicion of attempted murder.

LAPD Detective Steve Castro told FOX 11 that domestic violence cases are probably the most dangerous incidents that police respond to.

"There's a lot of emotions involved,'' Castro said. "In this case, apparently, the victim was having a hard time with the ex-girlfriend moving on and that causes a lot of emotional distress and irrational decisions.''

The victim's 7-year-old son attempted to help his wounded father, using his hands to try to stop the bleeding, witnesses at the scene told FOX 11.

The victim was taken to a hospital, Lee said. He was not expected to survive.

CNS contributed to this report.