Taggers in La Puente shoot at man who watched them
A man was shot at by two gang associates after he tried to stop them from tagging a wall in La Puente, authorities said.
The man was driving by an apartment complex in the city about 8:30 p.m. Sunday when he saw two men spray-painting a wall. He pulled his car up behind theirs, but before any exchange of words, the vandals got into their car and drove off, authorities said.
The man, 36, drove away in the opposite direction; but before long, the men made a U-turn and started chasing him, authorities said. The men, known gang associates and possibly members of a local gang, fired several rounds into the man’s car, shattering his side windows and striking a couple of nearby homes, police said.
The man was not struck but the broken glass cut his arms, said Sgt. Gerard Velona of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
When deputies stopped the suspects’ car, the driver was arrested without incident but the passenger ran and was found later by a K-9 unit while attempting to hide in a parking lot.
Raul Montezdeoca, 26, and Edmund Gail, 21, were booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and shooting at an inhabited dwelling, Velona said.
Authorities acknowledged the victim’s good intentions but urged the public not to try to stop vandals on their own.
“Use your cellphone, get away from the situation,” Velona said. “What we’re finding with gang members, even taggers, is someone nearby is acting as a lookout, and he’s normally armed.”
The lookout, Velona said, is there to protect against rival taggers or gang members; but in incidents such as this one, the lookout might shoot at anyone who interferes.
Sunday’s incident occurred near the 500 block of Laura Avenue.
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