Man Wanted in Slayings Surrenders to Police

A suspect in the fatal shooting of two men turned himself in at a police station Tuesday, shortly after a SWAT team stormed a converted garage in Boyle Heights where he was believed to be barricaded.

Although an elementary school across the street was locked down for about four hours and the area sealed off, Robert Luna, 24, had fled before police arrived.

He had been wanted on suspicion of killing his stepbrother, Edward Ramirez, 27, and Roger Martinez, 34, Friday in the garage, said Det. Rick Peterson of the Los Angeles Police Department. A motive for the shootings has not been established.

Police received a call shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday that Luna had returned to the garage in the 2800 block of East 1st Street and they cordoned off the area. The principal of 1st Street Elementary School was notified and the school was placed on lockdown.

Parents began arriving about 11:30 a.m. for dismissal of preschool and kindergarten students, but were held back by police. Some feared for their children’s safety. Veronica Casillas worried that her 4-year-old daughter, Brianna, might be confused or frightened.

“She might be hungry,” Casillas said. “I’m a little scared about what she’s been through.”

A few students were allowed to leave about 1:30 p.m., one at a time, with their parents via a rear entrance on 2nd Street.

“I’m fine,” Rafael Rosales, 7, said casually to his parents. “I just wanna know why the police are here.”

Shortly before 2 p.m., police swarmed the garage.

About 20 minutes later, Luna gave himself up at the LAPD’s Hollenbeck station

The remaining students at the school were then allowed to leave.