WEST WHITTIER — Officials Friday identified a 16-year-old boy fatally shot by deputies while allegedly walking toward them with a knife.
Jesse Max Rubalcava died following two deputy-involved shootings, which took place shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday in a residential neighborhood on Holbrook Street, just west of Norwalk Boulevard, in an unincorporated county area west of Whittier, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said. His city of residence was not clear.
The shootings occurred after deputies from the sheriff’s Pico Rivera Station responded to a report of a person brandishing a gun in the 6700 block of Norwalk Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
A deputy spotted a person who matched the description of the armed suspect suspect nearby at Holbrook Street and Morrill Avenue, Deputy Peter Gomez of the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau said in a written statement.
The suspect, later identified as Rubalcava, allegedly refused to comply with the deputies’ commands, he said.
“The suspect then reached toward his waistband area and fearing for his own life, the deputy fired at the suspect,” Gomez said.
Rubalcava then ran away, according to Lt. Holly Francisco of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau. It was not clear if Rubalcava was struck by the deputies’ gunfire.
Fellow deputies again found Rubalcava a short distance away on Holbrook Street near Pioneer Boulevard, Gomez said.
“The suspect was wielding a large knife at the deputies,” he said. “Again, the suspect refused to comply to the numerous commands of the deputies. The suspect then aggressively moved toward the deputies with the knife, which resulted in the deputies shooting the suspect.”
Officials did not say how many deputies fired, or how many times. None were injured in the incident.
Rubalcava died at the scene.
A knife was recovered, officials said.

— Staff writers Phillip Zonkel and Ruby Gonzales contributed to this report.