Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - A 22-year-old gang member was arrested March 19, accused of a number of charges after initially trying to elude authorities in a vehicle stolen from a dealership he allegedly also burglarized, police said.

The vehicle had yet to be reported stolen, taken from a La Puente dealership. Officers pursued the driver, who is also a parolee-at-large, until he crashed into a tree and ran, according to Sgt. Chris Palaganas of the West Covina Police Department.

Authorities attempted to stop the driver at Temple Avenue and Del Valle Avenue for a vehicle code violation March 19 around 2:03 a.m.

The driver disabled the vehicle after striking a tree at South Glendora Avenue and West Spruce Street in West Covina. He fled for a short distance on foot. He received some injuries from the vehicle’s airbags which deployed during the crash, Palaganas told SGV CityWatch.

The suspect was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of providing a fake name to officers, felony evading, driving a stolen vehicle, and possession of drug paraphernalia, Palaganas told SGV CityWatch.

Industry deputies are handling the dealership burglary, Palaganas told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Detectives have released video of a vehicle involved in the fatal shooting of an El Monte man.

The shooting that occurred November 3, 2019 left Jaime Fernandez, 26, dead. He was gunned down in his vehicle in the 300 block of South Glendora Avenue. The shooting occurred around 12:50 a.m., according to the West Covina Police Department.

There was more than one person inside the black four-door sedan detectives say was involved in the murder. One person in the black sedan allegedly flashed a gang sign associated with the Puente 13 Blackwood street gang during the confrontation with Fernandez, West Covina Police said.

One suspect was described as a Hispanic man in his mid-30s. He wore a manicured or trimmed beard.

Anyone with information on the suspects is urged to call the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8557. 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.