Harvey man arrested after deadly drive-by in Kenner

Don Ames
February 17, 2019 - 7:33 am

Kenner Police have arrested an 18-year-old Harvey man in connection with a fatal drive-by shooting that took place after a bar fight early Saturday morning. 

Edwin Gomez-Duarte was arrested and booked on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice Saturday afternoon. Duarte is accused of shooting and killing 22-year-old Arnold Matute-Vasquez of Terrytown after a fight between their two groups outside of a bar.

The fight and subsequent shooting took place about 12:30 a.m. Saturday in the 800 block of Daniel Street, near the Enigma Airport Bar and Lounge.

Kenner Police officers responded to reports of a large group fighting and gunfire. When they arrived, they found a man, later identified as Matute-Vasquez, on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest.

He was pronounced dead on the scene.

After detaining five people for questioning, police learned that one group apparently left the bar and walked to a car parked down the street. The second group followed and started a fight with the first group. 

After gunfire, one group drove off, but returned to the scene minutes later. That's when a passenger, identified as Gomez-Duarte, fired a single gunshot that killed Matute-Vasquez.

Officers responding to the scene saw a vehicle going westbound on Airline Highway that matched a description given by a witness. After they stopped the car, a gun was recovered on the road nearby and other evidence was found in the vehicle.

According to police, Gomez-Duarte confessed to the homicide and throwing the handgun from the car. 

He told police he had an ongoing dispute with people at the bar with Matute-Vasquez and was shot in the foot a month earlier by some of them.

Other occupants in the vehicle were unaware of the plan to shoot Matute-Vasquez and were not charged, according to police.

The incident remains under investigation.

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