(Photo – Pasadena Police Department)
On July 22, 2023, at 3:21 am, 32-year-old Jesse Munoz of Los Angeles was murdered during a robbery at Mile Marker 36.28 on Angeles Crest Highway. Munoz was inside a vehicle with a female companion at a scenic viewpoint when the homicide occurred.
By News Desk
Detectives from the Pasadena Police Department’s Robbery / Homicide Unit (RHU) responded to the scene to follow investigative leads and quickly identified suspects and the vehicle involved in the homicide.
On July 25, 2023, RHU detectives coordinated an operation involving multiple specialized law enforcement units. The operation spanned several hours and occurred at several locations throughout the County of Los Angeles. At 10:15 pm, the vehicle involved in the murder was pinned by law enforcement personnel in the 7600 Block of Woodman Street in Panorama City. Five male adult suspects were taken into custody without incident. Two semi-automatic firearms were recovered from the vehicle.
A female suspect was also taken into custody in the 900 Block of West 85th Street in Los Angeles and a search warrant was executed at multiple locations.
The suspects are members of a Los Angeles criminal street gang. RHU detectives believe the suspects taken into custody are connected to other crimes that have recently occurred in Los Angeles County.
The U.S. Marshal’s Pacific Southwest Region Fugitive Apprehension Taskforce, the Pasadena Police Department’s Street Crime Unit, members of the Pasadena Police Department’s SWAT and K9 teams, LAPD RHD, and LAPD Air Support Division assisted with the arrest / warrant operation.
Update
On July 28, 2023, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed two counts of Robbery with handgun allegations on Luis Ventura; a 23-year-old Los Angeles resident. He was charged with robbing Jesse Munoz and his female companion. Bail was set at $150,000 under court case BA516784.
20-year-old Wendy Cerritos and 21-year-old Rossel Josue Hernandez, both Los Angeles residents, were charged with four counts and two counts respectively, of Robbery with handgun allegations. Bail was set at $300,000 for Cerritos and $150,000 for Hernandez under court case BA516787. Cerritos and Hernandez were charged for robberies that occurred on Angeles Crest Highway the week preceding Munoz’ murder.
Were any of the suspects charged with anything more serious than robbery, like murder?