Woman Found Shot Several Times In Crashed Mercedes

A woman who was found shot five times in a crashed Mercedes-Benz E350 in Beverly Hills early today has died.

The woman, described as white and in her 60s, was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, authorities said. Her name was withheld, pending notification of her relatives. No arrests were reported.

Police were sent to the 800 block of North Whittier Drive at 12:28 a.m. on a report that a car had crashed into a light pole, and found the wounded woman, Beverly Hills police Lt. Michael Hill said. She was the lone occupant of the vehicle, police said.

There were at least two reports of multiple gunshots in the Benedict Canyon area at about that time, RMG News reported.

Police also taped off the intersection of Sunset and Whittier, another video news cameraman reported. There was glass in the road there, On Scene reported.

Police who first arrived at the crash scene initially said the victim in the crashed car was “in and out of consciousness but breathing,” and they did not mention gunshot wounds, RMG News reported.

It also reported that police at the scene said Beverly Hills firefighter- paramedics arrived and discovered the victim had five gunshot wounds, and that she was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

The dark-colored Mercedes reportedly was on a curb near Greenway Drive, with part of the street light pole under the car.

The homicide is the third of the year in Beverly Hills.

Diane Newlander, 73, was found dead in her home in the 400 block of South Swall Drive May 4, a victim of an apparent murder-suicide.

Katsutoshi Tony Takazato was fatally stabbed July 20, allegedly by the boyfriend of a former girlfriend. Takazato was found dead outside his home in the 1800 block of Carla Ridge in the exclusive Trousdale Estates area. Scott Joseph Barker has pleaded not guilty in the case.

The city had no homicides in 2009.