Rampant Robberies on Angeles Crest Highway Escalate into Fatal Murder: Six Gang Members Arrested as Investigation Broadens
Street gang’s robbery spree along Angeles Crest Highway leads to the murder of a 32-year-old man, with six arrests made by Pasadena Police Department and ongoing investigations into multiple violent crimes in Los Angeles County.
In Rancho Palos Verdes, a tragic incident unfolded when the lifeless bodies of Jorge Ramos, 36, and Taylor Raven Whittaker, 26, were discovered inside a blue Subaru sedan parked at the scenic overlook of Pelican Cove Park. Both victims had been fatally shot. (PHOTO: CBS News)
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Pasadena Police Pursue Street Gang Behind Terrifying Robbery Spree Turned Fatal Murder, As Investigation Broadens to Uncover Further Violent Crimes Across Los Angeles County
In a series of criminal activities along the Angeles Crest Highway, a street gang has been linked to multiple robberies of parked drivers. Tragically, their alleged crime spree culminated in the murder of a 32-year-old man who had stopped with his passenger to enjoy a scenic overlook. Detectives from the Pasadena Police Department have been working diligently to connect this gang to other violent crimes that occurred in Los Angeles County in the preceding week.
According to the reports, six members of the gang were arrested, but surprisingly, only three of them were charged with robbery, while the others were released shortly after. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office brought robbery charges against Luis Ventura, 23, who allegedly used a firearm to rob the victim, Jessie Munoz, before fatally shooting him in the Angeles National Forest. Two other suspects, Wendy Cerritos, 20, and Rossel Josue Hernandez, 21, were charged with multiple counts of robbery in connection with incidents that took place on Angeles Crest Highway in the week leading up to Munoz’s murder.
Pasadena Police Work Tirelessly to Build Murder Case, Utilize Cutting-edge Technology in Gang Investigation, as Prosecutors Prepare for Potential Additional Charges
Despite not yet charging anyone with Munoz’s murder, the Pasadena Police Department‘s Robbery/Homicide Unit is actively building the case and collaborating with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Under state law, suspects must be charged or released within 48 hours of arrest, and the robbery charges buy the investigators more time to compile evidence.
Additionally, Pasadena authorities are coordinating with the sheriff’s detectives to link these gang members to a double homicide that occurred in Rancho Palos Verdes just two days after the Angeles Crest Highway incident. The suspects’ identities and their vehicles were identified through undisclosed technology, which ultimately led to their arrest with the help of the SWAT team, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the LAPD.
Prosecutors are expected to review the homicide case over the weekend, with the possibility of filing additional charges on Monday. Although the cases are currently separate, there is a potential for them to be combined at a later stage. The community is hopeful that justice will be served, and that the violent individuals responsible for these heinous acts will face the full force of the law.
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