Bell Gardens Mayor Daniel Crespo Shot to Death by his wife

A California mayor was shot and killed Tuesday during what authorities told NBC News was a domestic dispute involving his wife and son. Daniel Crespo Sr., 45, was shot "multiple" times in the upper torso about 2:30 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. ET), the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Crespo, who is mayor of the Los Angeles-area city of Bell Gardens, died a short time later at a hospital. His wife Lyvette Crespo, 43, was detained, questioned and later released without being charged.Crespo and his wife were high school sweethearts who married in 1986. They met in New York, according to a biography on the city's website.

Bell Gardens, a suburb of about 43,000, is located about 18 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Crespo was elected to the City Council in 2001. The council is a part-time job and members take turns serving as mayor. The city's website Tuesday night had an image of a black bow and a statement from Mayor Pro Tem Priscilla Flores and three councilmembers that said the shooting doesn't appear to be related to Crespo's mayoral activities.

"Our thoughts and prayers should be with Mayor Crespo's family at this tragic time," the statement said. Crespo has been a county deputy probation officer for 15 years, according to the website. However, county CEO Bill Fujioka stated in a Twitter posting that Crespo had more than 21 years with the probation department. Speaking to NBC Southern California, the mayor's brother said he "couldn't believe" what had happened. "He loved (his family) more than life," William Crespo added. "He loved his wife a lot, he always loved his wife." State Senator Ricardo Lara and Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, both Democrats who represent Bell Gardens, released a joint statement late Tuesday in which they offered their condolences and called Crespo's death "a shocking and tremendous loss."