Plot stopped to rob, murder local couple

On Feb. 25, the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station detectives arrested a Glendora man on suspicion of solicitation to commit a residential burglary, carjacking, robbery, kidnapping and murder of a local couple.

According to Detective Roger Burt, Ramon Banos, 25, once worked for the La Cañada couple remodeling one of their properties in Beverly Hills. He was dismissed but claimed that the couple still owed him $30,000.

“They say he overcharged them. They are [presently] in a civil suit,” Burt said.

Banos allegedly called a fellow construction worker, who had also been let go by the couple, and asked him to help him with an elaborate plan that began with a home invasion and ended with the male victim taken to Mexico and murdered.

The fellow worker played along with Banos while notifying law enforcement.

“There are tape recordings [of their conversations],” Burt said.

He added that Banos had a couple of driving under the influence charges on his record but no other priors of this extreme nature.

Banos is being held on $2 million bail, his next court date is scheduled for March 11 at Pasadena Superior Court.