Rat Rescued, Suspect Jailed After Irwindale Carjacking Spills Into El Monte, Avocado Heights

PHOTO/Courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

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IRWINDALE - A carjacking suspect was tracked into Avocado Heights after he ditched the first stolen vehicle, tried to carjack another victim and got into an altercation with a bicyclist before vandalizing a McDonald’s Monday, police said.

Angel Bernal, a 26-year-old Los Angeles man on Post-Release Community Supervision, was arrested through the teamwork of at least three law enforcement agencies who were following the suspect’s path of crime.

Irwindale officers responded to the Arco AMPM, 15875 Arrow Hwy., at 9:08 p.m. January 28 after a victim said the suspect, later identified as Bernal, flashed a handgun tucked in his waistband. Bernal allegedly took off with the dark blue Jeep Liberty west on Arrow Highway, according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department.

After the Liberty was registered as stolen, the vehicle’s LoJack system activated.

At 10:15 p.m., El Monte Police located the Jeep abandoned at a cul de sac in their city with the help of the LoJack system, Gatto said.

The victim’s pet rat had a backseat ride during the ordeal and was recovered safely in the stolen vehicle.

“They [El Monte Police] received word of an attempted carjacking that occurred a few blocks away,” Gatto said. “The suspect description matched that of the suspect in our case.”

The suspect failed to commit the second carjacking and reportedly fled on foot.

El Monte officers were soon flagged down by a bicyclist who reported getting into an altercation with the same suspect, Gatto said.

Bernal fled onto a bus.

Later that night, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded a vandalism in progress at McDonald’s, 13814 Valley Blvd., in Avocado Heights.

After being detained by deputies, Bernal was identified through surveillance images as the same man who committed a trail of crimes originating to Irwindale.

The handgun Bernal had was never located, Gatto said.

Bernal is being held without bail after being booked on several felony charges.

Iriwndale police are working with El Monte officers and Industry deputies to possibly prosecute their crimes with Irwindale’s, Gatto said.