Santa Monica police arrested a local man linked to a carjacking in Culver City and two robberies in Los Angeles while investigating a shooting that happened in broad daylight Sept. 20 in the Pico Neighborhood. No one was hurt in the shooting.
Police responded to 9-1-1 calls that Wednesday around 3:15 p.m. regarding a shooting near 20th Street and Pico Boulevard. Witnesses said a passenger got out of a Kia Soul and got into an argument with an unidentified victim on the street. During the confrontation, the man pulled out a gun and fired several rounds toward the victim and other bystanders.
When police got to the scene, everyone involved in the confrontation fled. The person who was the target of the gunfire never came forward to talk to detectives or press charges.
“They didn’t want anything to do with contact with the police so we ended up getting witnesses to tell us what happened and then corroborated it with surveillance video as well,” Lt. Saul Rodriguez with the Santa Monica Police Department said. Just a few blocks from Virginia Park, the intersection is home to Campos Famous Burritos, a liquor store, Burger King and a 76 gas station. Rodriguez said several nearby businesses turned their surveillance video over to the department. Police identified the Kia as the car stolen during a carjacking in Culver City the week before the shooting.
Police identified the suspected shooter as Hector Jehova Bonilla. Los Angeles detectives believe the 20-year-old man was also involved with two robberies in their jurisdiction.
Bonilla has been charged with carjacking, robbery and the negligent discharge of a firearm. He’s currently being held without bail by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
Rodriguez said if the victim in the shooting had come forward, Bonilla could have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder.
Anyone with information related to the Santa Monica incident is encouraged to contact Detective Cooper at (310) 458-8478; Sergeant Skogh at (310) 458-8992; or the Santa Monica Police Department at (310) 458-8491.
kate@www.smdp.com
