Suspect in Gang-Related Killing Is Released
A 19-year-old Pico Rivera man whose gang-related murder trial was set to begin this week was freed instead when the prosecution’s key witnesses could not be found.
Sgt. Ray Rodriguez, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, said witness tampering played a role in the release of suspect David Morones.
Norwalk Superior Court Judge Patrick Couwenberg dismissed the charges against Morones after Deputy Dist. Atty. Laura Laesecke told him she could not proceed with the trial.
“The witnesses in this case have been intimidated and we had difficulty locating them and bringing them forward,” Rodriguez said.
Two men, who were arrested in January on four counts of witness tampering and intimidation in connection with the Morones trial, will face a preliminary hearing next month, according to court documents.
Morones was charged in the Oct. 6 gang-related shooting death of Fernando Hernandez, 20, of Montebello. Investigators believe that Hernandez, who was shot while driving in Pico Rivera, was killed in retaliation for a gang-related homicide the previous day.
Rodriguez said the suspected gunman in the slaying, 20-year-old Fernando Zavala of Pico Rivera, remains wanted by authorities.
Because the charges were dismissed before the trial began, prosecutors could refile their case against Morones if witnesses come forward.
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