Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MONTEBELLO - Officers are investigating a shooting between two suspects in a Montebello neighborhood Monday night that injured two bystanders.

The shooting occurred around 7:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of South Greenwood Avenue. Officers responding located two adult victims with gunshot wounds on scene. One victim was transported for medical care and one refused treatment. However both are stable as of this time, according to Michael Chee, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the City of Montebello.

“I have no details about possible suspects at this time. Those questions should be addressed by the LA County Sheriffs office,” Chee told SGV CityWatch.

In a crime broadcast made by Montebello Police officers, one suspect opened fire at a man standing outside of a residence. The second man was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun and returned gunfire.

The two bystanders were occupants inside a nearby vehicle. The vehicle was struck by gunfire at the front and the rear, according to the crime broadcast.

The Hispanic male suspect who first opened fire was accompanied by another Hispanic man. Both wore blue face coverings and fled in a white vehicle, according to the crime broadcast.

MONTEBELLO – A man was found suffering multiple gunshot wounds to the back Monday afternoon.

Montebello officers were called to investigate a gunshot victim in the 8100 block of Slauson Avenue around 3:12 p.m. August 22. The victim, only described as a Hispanic man, was found wounded between two motorhomes. He was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

The murder weapon remains outstanding. Investigators claim a suspect is unknown.

Anyone with information on this homicide is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Provide information anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

MONTEBELLO – A man seen unresponsive in a vehicle likely died by suicide, the Montebello Police Department said.

Officers were called to check the welfare of a man around 8:08 a.m. July 28 at 802 W. Beverly Blvd. The vehicle was stationed in a parking lot.

“Officers arrived and observed a deceased male adult inside of a vehicle. Further investigation revealed that the death appeared to be a suicide. Montebello Police Detectives are handling the investigation,” according to the Montebello Police Department in a written statement.

The man has not been publicly identified yet.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MONTEBELLO - Two men exchanged words before unloading handguns, completely missing each other and fortunately missing store patrons and an employee during an April 30 gun battle.

The shooting was all caught on surveillance video at the 7-Eleven, 800 S. Greenwood Ave, around 9:50 p.m. Everything appeared to be business as usual inside the store until two men passed each other. Words and expletives were exchanged, including bullets.

As bullets destroyed glass panes and random objects, the patrons and employee desperately ducked to avoid being hit.

No one was injured, according to the Montebello Police Department.

Both men escaped. Police did not elaborate on descriptions of possible getaway vehicles.

Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to call Montebello Police Detective Fivecoat at 323-887-1247, or email afivecoat@cityofmontebello.com. Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MONTEBELLO - A suspect accused of a brutally beating his girlfriend and attempting to shoot her multiple times was recently sentenced to eight years in state prison, the Montebello Police department announced.

Sean Abeyta, 29, reportedly took a plea deal and copped to an assault with a deadly weapon charge that sent him behind bars for the crime that occurred on December 20, 2020, the Montebello Police Department said.

Abeyta was sentenced in January. He has since been moved to Wasco State Prison, according to county and state booking records.

Abeyta’s estranged girlfriend fled the 3000 block of Via Breve after Abeyta threatened her with a handgun and punched her while the two were seated in a vehicle. As the estranged girlfriend ran, Abeyta shot at her, according to the Montebello Police Department.

Abeyta ran from his vehicle to ditch evidence and clothing, giving his estranged girlfriend time to retreat back into the vehicle. She fled to the El Monte Police Department and notified authorities.

The estranged girlfriend was wounded with a laceration to her right eyelid and a swollen lip, according to the Montebello Police Department.

Montebello investigators obtained surveillance video showing Abeyta ditching evidence in a trash can at the Quiet Cannon, 901 Via San Clemente.

He also ran to where he was residing at the nearby Home 2 Suites, 988 Via San Clemente, where video surveillance caught him ditching clothing on multiple floors of the hotel.

The victim provided a detailed statement and after Abeyta was detained as he left his room, a search warrant helped officers find methamphetamine and ammunition within, according to the Montebello Police Department.

Investigators also recovered the discarded clothing at the hotel and recovered a discarded backpack at the Quiet Cannon, the latter contained a loaded handgun, methamphetamine and cocaine, according to the Montebello Police Department.

MONTEBELLO – Authorities reportedly recovered a handgun and arrested a pursuit suspect who attempted to escape the California Highway Patrol February 1.

Aaron James Macias, 36, is accused of multiple armed robberies in Montebello, Monterey Park and in Los Angeles. During those crimes a .45-caliber handgun was fired, according to the Montebello Police Department.

Several victims helped investigators identify Macias and his vehicle, a white four-door sedan.

Officers from the CHP Glendale/Verdugo Hills Station detained Macias February 1 at 3:32 a.m. and he was booked at 5:50 a.m. at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Temple Station. He was eventually taken into custody by Montebello officers at 3:55 p.m., according to Los Angeles County booking records.

CHP officers found Macias wearing body armor and recovered an unloaded handgun under the driver seat. He wore an over-sized puffy olive green jacket and Nike shoes: the clothing reportedly worn during a robbery in Los Angeles, according to the Montebello Police Department.

Macias is being held at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic in lieu of $350,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Los Angeles Municipal Court February 16.

Anyone who may be a victim of Macias is urged to call Montebello Police Detective Colbert at 323-887-1272, or email jcolbert@cityofmontebello.com.

MONTEBELLO – A documented gang banger accepted a plea of nine years in state prison recently after being arrested in an assault and robbery case from 2019, the Montebello Police Department announced.

Victor Apodaca, a 29-year-old South Side Montebello gang banger, attacked two people February 23, 2019 in the area of Beach Street and Greenwood Avenue near a 7-Eleven. An altercation led Apodaca to pistol-whip both victims, with one being robbed of a gold chain and wallet. As the victims fled in a vehicle, Apodaca shot at the vehicle, striking the front passenger, according to the Montebello Police Department.

Montebello officers responded to Beverly Hospital at 1:50 a.m. to investigate after both victims fled to the facility for treatment. Officers quickly identified Apodaca as a suspect, the Montebello Police Department said.

A search warrant was authored and a search of Apodaca’s residence yielded evidence linking him to the crime. After several weeks of investigation, an arrest warrant was authored.

“…He had been arrested and convicted for possessing several firearms by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Over a year after the crime, on March 12, 2020, detectives responded to Ironwood State Prison and arrested APODACA for charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon with gang enhancements,” according to the Montebello Police Department in a written statement.

The gang enhancements were removed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Montebello Police Department said, but after months of waiting Apodaca was held to answer for his crimes.

Apodaca accepted the plea July 15, 2021. A custody release was issued October 27 and Apodaca was released to North Kern State Prison in Delano, according to Los Angeles County and state prison records.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

UPDATE, 9:58 a.m.: Officers responded to a business in the 400 block of West Washington Boulevard at 3:48 a.m. to investigate a burglary alarm call. On arriving on scene, officers saw a man inside of the business. He attempted to flee the business through the rear door but retreated back inside to escape officers positions behind the location, according to the Montebello Police Department.

“As Officers entered the building a shotgun was recovered and Officers heard the subject in the crawl space between the ceiling and roof of the store,” according to the Montebello Police Department in a written statement. “It is unknown if the subject is armed with another weapon and the subject has refused to cooperate with police orders to exit.”

MONTEBELLO - All east and west lanes of West Washington Boulevard between Bluff Road and Carob Way are closed while authorities try to get a barricaded man to surrender.

Crisis negotiators and the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau are working on communicating with the man, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The Montebello Police Department is asking everyone to avoid the area.

MONTEBELLO - A man took cash and cigarettes at gunpoint in a daytime robbery September 27, Montebello Police said.

A masked suspect robbed the Chevron gas station, 1628 Washington Blvd., just before 7:30 a.m. He arrived in a black car, entered the gas station, revealed a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded cash, according to the Montebello Police Department.

MONTEBELLO - The man accused of brutally attacking two people, leaving one in a weeks-long coma, at a Metrolink station was identified, authorities said.

Thomas Ward, who is currently jailed by another agency on an unrelated burglary charge, was positively identified with the help of surveillance snapshots and several witnesses to the attack, according to the Montebello Police Department.