GUNFIRE VICTIM'S SURVIVAL UNLIKELY DEPUTIES SUSPECT DEAL GONE DEADLY.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A Lancaster woman is not expected to survive after being shot with her husband during what officials suspect may have been a drug deal gone bad.

Rose Kato, 45, was shot three times in the upper torso, and her husband, Eugene Kato, 39, was shot once after an argument with two men in the couple's West Kettering Avenue house, deputies said.

``The shooting may have been precipitated by an argument over a narcotics transaction,'' said Deputy Sonia Para of the Sheriff's Department's Headquarters Bureau. ``It was probably a drug deal that had gone bad.''

Rose was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital, officials said. Eugene was flown by helicopter to Holy Cross Medical Center, where he was reported Friday in stable condition.

Deputies later arrested Randolph Hicks, 52, of Lancaster and Melvin Carter, 32, of Palmdale, who were being held without bail at the Lancaster sheriff's station's jail on suspicion of attempted murder.

According to sheriff's officials, two men entered the Katos' home about 2 p.m., one armed with a handgun. After a brief argument, the men opened fire on the couple and fled the house.

Hicks has a history of weapons possession charges while Carter has been arrested and convicted at least twice on narcotics violations, deputies said. Hicks is on probation while Carter is on parole.

Eugene Kato was arrested in October on suspicion of making terrorist threats, sheriff's records show. In November he was sentenced to 90 days in jail, records show.