Maria De La Rosa, 22, known as DELAROSA, was shot while sitting in a parked car, police said.
LOS ANGELES — A 22-year-old Latin music artist was fatally shot early Saturday in an ambush-style attack on a residential block in Northridge, authorities said. The victim, identified by relatives and police as Maria De La Rosa, was struck when two men approached a parked car and opened fire shortly after 1:25 a.m.
Police said De La Rosa performed under the stage name DELAROSA and had drawn a growing online following in recent months. Detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Bureau Homicide unit are investigating and searching for two male suspects who fled after the shooting. The case has prompted widespread tributes from fans and fellow artists while raising fresh concerns about gun violence in the San Fernando Valley. As of Wednesday, no motive had been announced and no arrests had been publicly confirmed.
Officers were called to Bryant Street, just east of Tampa Avenue, after reports of gunfire in the quiet neighborhood, investigators said. De La Rosa was riding in a parked vehicle with two other people when two men walked up and fired multiple rounds into the car. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. “She was the best, she was unique, she wanted to help everyone,” Deyanira De La Rosa, the victim’s mother, said in an interview. Neighbors told reporters they awoke to the sound of shots and sirens as patrol cars sealed off the block before dawn.
Authorities said the two other occupants of the car were also hospitalized; their identities had not been released by midweek, and their conditions were not immediately available. Investigators described the attack as ambush-style, noting there was no initial sign of a confrontation before the gunfire. Family members said De La Rosa was seated in the passenger seat. Detectives are reviewing potential security video, canvassing for additional witnesses and collecting shell casings from the scene, according to briefings given since the weekend. Police have not detailed the number of shots fired or the specific caliber of the weapon used.
De La Rosa had recently teased new music on social media and released a single in August titled “No Me Llames.” Friends and acquaintances shared remembrances online, calling her driven and generous. One longtime acquaintance wrote that the young artist encouraged him when he was starting out and helped connect him with opportunities. Messages of grief and support also appeared on accounts for other Latin artists, underscoring the reach of her following despite her short time in the industry. Family members described her as a daughter who loved music and was building momentum before her death.
Police officials said detectives are exploring several angles, including whether the shooting was targeted, but they have not publicly identified a motive. The investigation is being handled by Operations Valley Bureau Homicide. Relatives told local media two people were taken into custody, but LAPD has not confirmed any arrests. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner will determine the exact cause and manner of death following standard procedures, and police said further updates would be released as information is verified.
The Northridge killing drew renewed attention because of where and when it happened: on a residential street lined with single-family homes and apartment buildings, blocks from major thoroughfares. Shootings in the San Fernando Valley tend to cluster around late-night hours on weekends, police data show, though detectives caution each case is unique. In recent years, several ambush-style attacks in greater Los Angeles have involved assailants approaching vehicles on foot, a tactic that can leave victims with little time to react and few immediate clues beyond surveillance footage and ballistic evidence.
What happens next centers on routine but critical steps. Detectives will compare any recovered casings to regional databases, continue door-to-door interviews and pull video from homes and businesses near Bryant Street and Tampa Avenue. They will also await forensic results and phone records, which can take days to process. If suspects are identified, police could seek arrest warrants through the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office before presenting a case for filing. As of Wednesday, authorities had not scheduled a public briefing or released composite sketches of the two attackers.
By midweek, mourners had begun leaving flowers near the block where the shooting occurred, according to neighbors. Family members said the young singer had been spending long hours in the studio this fall. “She was so young… They stole her life,” her mother said, standing near a framed photo of her daughter. Residents described the area as generally calm at night, with streetlights and cul-de-sacs that can feel isolated after midnight. Several said they were startled to learn the woman killed was an emerging artist they had seen on social media just weeks earlier.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the case remained open and active with the suspects still at large. Detectives continued canvassing the Northridge neighborhood and reviewing leads gathered since the Nov. 22 shooting. The next significant update is expected when police release new details about suspects or potential arrests.
Author note: Last updated November 26, 2025.