Fullerton Man Arrested in Death of Norwalk Athlete

A 20-year-old reputed gang member from Fullerton was arrested Monday in last week’s murder of a popular high school football and wrestling captain in Norwalk, authorities said.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies said they are also seeking a 17-year-old in the slaying, but investigators believe the suspect in custody, Gilbert Munoz, was the triggerman who gunned down Juan (Chaka) Enriquez, 18, last Tuesday a block from his home. Enriquez was on his way home from John Glenn High School for lunch.

The announcement of the arrest was made Monday night by Sheriff’s Capt. Ronald Black at a community meeting on gang violence at a Norwalk elementary school attended by 250 people.

Black said the 17-year-old being sought is believed to have been the driver of the car from which the shots were fired.

The captain said Enriquez “was an innocent bystander” who was apparently shot in the belief he was someone else.

Black said Munoz was a member of an unnamed Filipino gang based in Cerritos. The gang, the captain said, was seeking retaliation against a Norwalk Latino gang for two incidents on which he declined to elaborate.

When told of the arrest, Enriquez’s brother, Jose, 21, said: “I sure hope he’s the one. It’s not going to bring my brother back, but at least we wouldn’t want to see the murderer go unpunished.”

He said neither he nor anyone in the family knew the suspect.

Norwalk Mayor Grace Napolitano told Monday night’s meeting: “I’m very happy to hear of the arrest. I understand that it resulted from the cooperation of members of the community, and that’s what we need.”

Enriquez’s slaying brought an outpouring of grief from fellow students and Norwalk residents. Flowers and messages were draped on the spot where the shooting occurred and more than 2,000 people packed a memorial service at the high school.

Enriquez, who planned to be a police officer, was an All-Suburban League football lineman and won a CIF Southern Section 1-A wrestling championship.