BELLFLOWER — Prosecutor filed attempted murder charges Thursday against two men accused of shooting at sheriff’s deputies during a six-hour standoff in Norwalk, authorities said.
Mason Edwin Devore, 37, of La Habra, and George Contreras, 19, of Los Angeles, appeared in Bellflower Superior Court to be charged in connection with Tuesday’s standoff, which unfolded from about 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. at a mobile home in the 12000 block of Rosecrans Avenue, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s and district attorney’s officials.
In addition to attempted murder, prosecutors also accuse Devore of the special allegation of personally firing a rifle during the crime.
Devore, who is already on federal parole following a previous bank robbery conviction, was being sought in connection with six robberies in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, Pomona Police Sgt. Patrick O’Malley said. The investigation into those robberies, which took place in Chino, Fullerton. Diamond Bar, Rialto and Pomona, was ongoing.
Police, along with members of the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, showed up at the Rosecrans Avenue mobile home searching for Devore.
“As authorities attempted to arrest Devore at a Norwalk mobile home park, he barricaded himself in a trailer,” district attorney’s officials said in a written statement. “Contreras was with him.”
“During the standoff with sheriff deputies, a series of shots were fired at law enforcement,” according to the district attorney’s office statement. “After several hours, Contreras surrendered to officials. Deputies then fired tear gas
into the trailer, which made Devore leave the home and he was immediately taken into custody.”
Devore was expected to appear in court for an arraignment June 26 in Norwalk Superior Court, while Contreras was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Bellflower Superior Court.
According to county booking records, the suspects were being held in lieu of $500,000 bail each.
District attorney’s officials said prosecutors will request that Devore’s bail amount be increased to $3.2 million, and Contreras’ bail raised to $2 million.