Bellflower felon sentenced to life in prison in killing of ex-girlfriend in front of their children

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- A felon was sentenced to life in prison in the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend in front of their children in a Bellflower apartment, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in a news release Friday.

In January 2017, Antowan Parker, 29, walked through the front door into the apartment and pointed a gun at several family members before he shot 31-year-old Kenia Buckner in the chest, the DA said.

The couple's three children, Buckner's mother and other family members were home at the time. Two of their children, including a 10-year-old, saw their mother being shot, authorities said.

Buckner was pronounced dead at the scene minutes later, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

Parker fled after the shooting and authorities launched a months-long manhunt until his arrest in April 2017, public arrest records show.

The defendant was convicted by a jury of one count each of murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of firearm by a felon, the DA said.