Authorities charge 18-year-old woman in fatal San Pedro bar shooting
Authorities brought murder and attempted murder charges this week against an 18-year-old woman in connection with a pair of violent incidents in San Pedro in January.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office charged 18-year-old Estrella Rojas with murder in the death of 33-year-old Tyrone Tyars at the Machista Bar on South Pacific Avenue in San Pedro on Jan. 20.
Rojas was also charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting two other people in the incident, which happened around midnight during an argument among a group of people at the bar, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The two victims — a 35-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man whose names were not released — were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, the LAPD said.
Investigators linked Rojas to a separate shooting on Jan. 6 involving a 19-year-old man. According to police, the man was approached by two suspects, one of them armed with a handgun. There was some type of interaction between the three, and as the man was trying to drive away, one of the suspects shot at his vehicle. He was able to drive away unharmed, authorities said.
Angel Castillo was arrested and charged in the shooting of a toddler in Santa Ana. Police suspect his target was a male passenger.
Homicide investigators identified Rojas as a suspect in both shootings and she was arrested Thursday in San Pedro, the LAPD said. Authorities say the two shootings do not appear to be linked.
Councilman Tim McOsker thanked the police and the community for coming forward with tips that led to the arrest of the alleged shooter.
“This arrest is important to both the family and friends of Tyrone Tyars and our entire community, which has been deeply disturbed by this senseless act of violence,” McOsker said in a statement. “Tyrone’s young life was cut far too short and the pain that his partner, children, loved ones, and friends have gone through is unimaginable. It is my hope that this arrest brings accountability and justice to his memory.”
Tyars’ family told KABC-TV Channel 7 that he went to the bar to pick up his girlfriend after she called him asking for help. Tyars and his girlfriend were the parents of two children.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
