Robbery suspect pleads not guilty

Paul M. Anderson

GLENDALE -- A man suspected of shooting a 26-year-old Alhambra woman

in a grocery store parking lot Jan. 27 pleaded not guilty to the charge

Thursday.

Aran Renteria, 21, of Los Angeles, entered his plea to one count of

attempted murder and one count of robbery with special allegations for

using a gun, officials said. He entered his plea in Glendale Municipal

Court and is being held without bail at L.A. County Jail.

Glendale detectives arrested Renteria without incident Tuesday night

in Temple City. The arrest of two other suspects in the case a short time

later in Boyle Heights didn’t go as smoothly.

Glendale homicide investigator Ben Mihm fatally shot Edgar Ernesto

Fregoso, 22, of Los Angeles when Fregoso tried to run Mihm down with his

Ford Bronco late Tuesday, Glendale Sgt. Rick Young said. The sport

utility vehicle swerved around Mihm in an alleyway and led Mihm and his

partner on a high-speed chase that ended when the Bronco slammed into a

telephone pole.

Cynthia Contreres, allegedly one of the chief masterminds of the Jan.

27 robbery in the parking lot of Ralphs at Verdugo Boulevard and Colorado

Street in Glendale, suffered a shoulder injury in the collision, Young

said. She was released from County-USC Medical Center’s jail ward

Thursday night and was expected to appear in Glendale Municipal Court

today, Young said. She is being held on $500,000 bail at L.A. County

Jail. Investigators plan to ask prosecutors to charge Contreres with

attempted murder, robbery and conspiracy, Young said.

“She was a major part of getting this crime organized, hence the

conspiracy charge,” Young said.

Investigators allege that Renteria was the gunman who shot the

Alhambra woman four times. The three followed the woman from an Eagle

Rock hair salon to a Wells Fargo bank where she was going to deposit

about $3,000, Young said.

The victim has been released from Huntington Memorial Hospital in

Pasadena and is home recuperating, Young said.

The victim knew Contreres but investigators would not reveal anything

more about their relationship.

Investigators would not say if they have recovered the gun used in the

attack, Young said.

Mihm and his partner came across Fregoso and Contreres in the Ford

Bronco as they were driving down an alley in Boyle Heights, Young said.

Mihm, who was the passenger in the unmarked squad car, got out to order

the suspects to stop because another car was partially blocking their

way, Young said.

Instead of stopping, Fregoso accelerated and barreled down on the

17-year Glendale Police veteran, Young said.

“He identified himself clearly as a police officer numerous times,”

Young said. “If you’ve ever met Officer Ben Mihm you’d know he doesn’t

need a loud speaker.”

The three suspects have known gang affiliations, Young said. Witnesses

saw the two men at the attack, but did not see Contreres, Young said.

Investigators would not say what evidence led them to connect

Contreres was to the attack, Young said.

Police are still investigating because they believe more suspects may

have been involved, Young said.

Los Angeles detectives are also still investigating the officer

involved shooting of Fregoso to determine if it was justified.