Advertisement

Teen Brothers Charged in Death of Co-Worker

Share

Two teenage brothers from Los Angeles face murder charges for allegedly beating a 34-year-old co-worker to death for his 1984 Pontiac Firebird, then dumping the body in a Garden Grove parking lot, police said.

Erik Mata, 19, and Juan Manual Mata, 18, both security guards, are accused of beating Ismael Galvan, 34, of Los Angeles, according to Garden Grove Police Lt. John Woods.

Galvan’s body was found Sept. 5 in the back of a Garden Grove business complex near Euclid Street and Chapman Avenue, Woods said. He had been strangled and beaten on the face and body; property had been removed in an apparent attempt to make the body harder to identify. He was found wearing only pants and black knee-high rubber boots. Authorities identified the victim through his fingerprints.

Advertisement

On Friday, 25 police detectives served search warrants at four places in Los Angeles before arresting the brothers.

Police believe the slaying occurred in the parking lot of the business complex in Los Angeles where the suspects were employed as security guards, and the victim as a lot worker.

The brothers are expected to be arraigned Monday in the Justice Center at Westminster.

Advertisement