Arrests in Monrovia crime spree
Authorities have charged two men in connection with last year's slaying of 19-year-old Brandon Lee, officials said Tuesday.
Also Tuesday, police announced they have arrested a suspect in the Jan. 13, 2008, shooting of 64-year-old Sanders Rollins.
The slayings were part of a string of gang-related shootings in the Monrovia/Duarte area that left four people dead in late 2007 and early 2008.
On Tuesday, authorities announced that Monrovia resident Uriel Garcia, 24, has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of Lee, who was fatally wounded by gunfire as he emerged from a friend's car on Almond Avenue in January 2008.
A second man, Valentin Valenzuela, 20, was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of Lee, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.
Carlos Torres Jr., 16, has been charged with murder in the Rollins slaying, Gibbons said. Rollins was shot in the back outside his Sherman Avenue home as he walked to the front door.
A second suspect has been identified but had not been arrested Tuesday, Gibbons said. Garcia, Valenzuela and Torres are all due in court for arraignment March 11, according to Gibbons.
THe shooter or shooters of 16-year-old Sammantha Salas outside a Monrovia apartment building last Jan. 26 remain at large. A reward has been offered and extended in the case.
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CONTRIBUTORS
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| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
KINDA FUNNY HOW THEY FIND ALL THE SUSPECTS FOR THE BLAK KILLINGS BUT THEY NEVER DO FIND THOSE BLAK SUSPECTS FOR THE LATINO KILLINGS
They rounded up about 25-30 Black males, and most have been sentenced to at least 15 years or facing that amount of time and more on all sorts of charges. They have also relocated or bought out several Black homes were young Black males hung out. They started with the Blacks first, going through EVERY Black male in the area trying to determine if anyone had any type of gang affiliation. For them to get concrete evidence of any of those murders people involved had to tell on themselves.
DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHICH RACE HAS BEEN FOUND JUSTICE IS DUE FOR ALL FAMILIES AND ATLEAST JUSTICE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO A FEW OF THESE FAMILIES. YOU KNOW WHATS SCARY IS THAT I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH VALENTIN VALENZUELA I WAS BEST FRIENDS WITH BRANDON , ITS SICKENING TO THINK THAT I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH KILLERS.. AD EVEN MORE THAT BRANDON WAS A VICTIM OF SOMEONE HE SHOULD HAVE FELT SAFE NEAR. MAYBE ITS TIME TO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT COLOR WE ARE OR WHAT BLOCK WE COME FROME , MAYBE ITS TIME TO SEE WHATS ON THE INSIDE FOR ONCE!!!!!!!! r.i.p TO ALL!!