3 arrested in gas station killings
Three young men have been arrested in the shooting deaths of two Carson gas station employees -- a recently hired single mother and a soon-to-retire 74-year-old co-worker, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials announced Sunday.
Fingerprints lifted from the crime scene led authorities to arrest a 16-year-old Friday morning. Lt. Gil Carrillo of the sheriff’s homicide bureau said the youth, who was not identified because he is a minor, had at least one prior arrest on robbery charges.
On Saturday, deputies identified the car used in the incident and arrested Julio Perez, 22, and Adam Loza, 23, both residents of South-Central Los Angeles.
Early on the morning of Nov. 4, the owner of the Mobil mini-mart discovered the bodies of Esther Arteaga, 32, of Wilmington, and Eduardo Roco of Carson, shot to death behind the store counter, sheriff’s officials said.
No money was missing from the register.
Arteaga had been hired a week earlier and was working her first graveyard shift. Roco, a father of three who had plans to retire soon, was training her, Carrillo said.
“It was clear it was a botched robbery,” he said.
The gas station’s security camera was not recording at the time of the crime, but a grainy security video from a neighboring business helped investigators piece together the event, Carrillo said.
The video shows three young men emerging from the car after it was parked behind the gas station in the 22200 block of Avalon Boulevard at 4:25 a.m. the morning of the shooting.
Perez, identified as the driver, is seen taking off his sweatshirt and putting it over the head and shoulders of Loza before the three entered the gas station together, Carrillo said.
One minute and 45 seconds later, the three young men are seen running out of the store, Carrillo said.
No weapon has been found, and investigators would not identify whom they suspected of shooting the two victims.
All three suspects are expected to appear in court Tuesday to face charges. The investigation is continuing, and the district attorney’s office will decide what the charges will be.
“They’re looking at a double murder,” Carrillo said.
Arteaga’s body was flown to family members in her native Honduras.
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