On Wednesday, authorities in Rancho Palos Verdes and Pasadena announced that they had made arrests in the shooting murders of two people who had been sitting in their automobiles at picturesque lookouts.
In connection with the fatal shooting of a man in Pasadena, police have detained six members of a violent street gang. Pasadena police believe the suspects are linked to the murders of a man and woman in Rancho Palos Verdes.
“Our suspects focused on targeting victims who were parked in scenic turnouts, or areas that were somewhat desolate with very little cellphone reception,” Pasadena police Lt. Keith Gomez said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “In most cases, those victims were distracted when they were assaulted.”
Gomez said the sheriff’s investigation was still underway, so he wouldn’t elaborate on the possible connection between the two instances. However, he emphasized multiple times that police believe there is a link between the shootings.
The tweet below verifies the news:
Shooting deaths at scenic lookouts in Pasadena and Rancho Palos Verdes appear connected; 6 arrested https://t.co/whAvPtG4K0
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 27, 2023
The criminals have been linked to other armed robberies across Los Angeles County. On Tuesday, police in Panorama City placed them under custody. The first incident, which occurred on Angeles Crest Highway at around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, was initially recorded as a single-vehicle crash by the Pasadena Police Department.
Two adults were found dead in a severely wrecked vehicle when officials from the California Highway Patrol arrived. Jessie Munoz, the driver, was 32 years old when she was found unresponsive. According to investigators, Munoz was shot multiple times while police were attempting to save his life.
First responders pronounced him deceased at the scene. A female passenger was on board and escaped injury. Police in Pasadena were contacted since the area where the murder occurred along Angeles Crest Highway falls within their jurisdiction. That agency’s officers arrived on the scene and took control of the inquiry.
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Family members said that Munoz took a buddy to the viewpoint to watch the sunrise. According to his sister Leslie, he was the kind of brother that nobody had to worry about. “Someone came and took his life like it was a piece of trash,” she said. His family has now been supported by a GoFundMe campaign.
“I just want justice for my brother so I can be able to take a breath and say, ‘This is all over,'” said Jesse’s other sister Ivette Munoz. “My brother’s now in peace because we got the people that did this to him.” According to the detectives, the passenger in Munoz’s car was crucial to their case.
On Monday morning in Rancho Palos Verdes, two days later, police discovered the bodies of a man and a woman inside their bullet-riddled automobile along a seaside cliff. Just before 7 a.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department sent deputies to the 7000 block of Palos Verdes Drive.
They arrived at a blue Subaru vehicle to find Jorge Ramos and TaylorRaven Whittaker inside. The coroner has released the names Ramos and Whittaker. However, he referred further questions about the investigation into the incident at Rancho Palos Verdes to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“I will tell you that everything that we have gathered over the last couple days, as far as investigate leads, facts, we have forwarded that to the sheriff’s department and other agencies that are investigating crimes that may be connected to our suspects,” Gomez said.
The members of Team Subaru 15 SoCal, an automobile club, expressed their sadness at Ramos’ passing in a statement released on Monday. “It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that our beloved brother Jorge has passed away. This loss comes as a surprise to all of us. It is a shocking thing to start your day with, in what ultimately is a private family matter,” the statement said.
“We appreciate your support in providing privacy to his friends and family in this difficult moment. Join us in lifting a member of the Subaru Community and S15 SoCal OG to his resting place in the sky. RIP.” Authorities in Pasadena initially suspected robbery as the crime’s impetus.
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