4 Killed as Gang Members Exchange Shots During Car Chase

A high-speed car chase punctuated by gunshots ended with four people dead when gang members shot and killed a rival, causing his car to crash into a palm tree in Highland Park, killing his three passengers, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.

The other car was abandoned about six blocks from the crash at York Boulevard near Figueroa Street, and the suspects fled, investigators said. The suspects remained at large Wednesday evening, police said.

The dead were identified as Ernie Alvarez, 22, driver of the car that crashed; his twin brother, Johnny; Ruben Mendez, 17, and Victor Cota, 19. All were residents of the El Sereno district northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

According to police, the car chase started on Monterey Road in South Pasadena after the groups traded insults about 10:45 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses said they heard gunshots as the vehicles sped west on Monterey and onto the Pasadena Avenue extension of York.

As the cars approached York and Figueroa, more shots were fired from the pursuing car, said Detective John Sprankle of the LAPD’s Northeast Division.

Sprankle said that several of the shots struck Ernie Alvarez, who lost control of his vehicle. The car veered right and into a curbside palm tree beside a supermarket parking lot.

Ernie Alvarez and Mendez were pronounced dead at the scene. Cota died a short time later at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. Johnny Alvarez was pronounced dead on arrival at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

No weapons were found in either car, police said.

Someone placed a small bouquet of carnations at the base of the scarred palm tree on York Wednesday. The card with it read:

“In loving memory of my friends Ernie, Johny, Victor, Ruben. I’m going to miss you. I hope to see you guys again. . . .”