 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA - The adult suspects accused of killing a 17-year-old runaway are scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday. Christian Granados and Frediz Lopez, two 20-year-olds from Los Angeles, were charged with the murder of Sylmar runaway Johanna Lisette Mejia Gaytan. Her body was discovered in a culvert near East Fork Road November 24, 2018. Granados and Lopez were arrested by Sheriff’s Homicide detectives in the early part of December, 2018. A 16-year-old Compton girl was also arrested and charged with murder, according to Deputy Morgan Arteaga of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Both men pleaded not guilty to Gaytan’s murder in late June 2019. The charges include a special circumstance allegation that the suspects were active participants in a criminal street gang and that the murder was carried out to further the activities of the criminal street gang, according to Los Angeles County do Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer Ricardo Santiago.
The status of the teen suspect’s case is not publicly known. A resident called 9-1-1 around 12:15 p.m. Saturday November 24, 2018 after discovering Gayton’s body. Deputies from the San Dimas Station arrived to East Fork Road at mile marker 1.25 and declared Gayton dead at the scene, Gayton’s body was in a culvert adjacent to a turnout. Her death is listed as a homicide resulting from blunt head trauma, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner- Coroner. The preliminary hearing is scheduled at Pomona Superior Court.  PHOTO/Stock image. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor POMONA - A metal chair. A rock. A broken glass pipe. All weapons allegedly used by the four suspects accused of brutally beating to death a 20-year-old Glendora man, prosecutors said.
Hercules Balaskas, an 18-year-old man from Glendora, Jacob Hunter Elmendorf, a 19-year-old man from La Verne, Francisco Amigon, a 19-year-old man from La Verne and outstanding suspect 21-year-old Matthew Capiendo Luzon were charged today with three counts of first degree murder with special circumstances, first-degree residential robbery and kidnapping, according to Sarah Ardalani of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The suspects also face three special circumstances of lying in wait and murder during the kidnapping and robbery of Julian Hamori-Andrade, whose body was found dumped 30 feet over the side of Highway 39 Wednesday, May 30. Prosecutors accuse Balaskas of beating Hamori-Andrade with the metal chair. Luzon, who is still on the run, is accused of using a rock and broken glass pipe to further beat the victim once he was taken to the mountainside, Ardalani said. Balaskas, Amigon and Elmendorf were to be arraigned Thursday, but their court appearance was continued to June 6 in Pomona Superior Court, Ardalani said. If convicted as charged, all four suspects face the death penalty or life in state prison without parole. The decision to seek the death penalty will be made at a later court appearance. |
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