Pasadena Police Lt. Gomez used technology and the investigation pointed to the suspects targeting victims in remote areas with poor cellphone reception while they were distracted during the assaults.
Six individuals were apprehended by the Pasadena Police Department on Wednesday in connection with separate homicides that occurred in Pasadena and Rancho Palos Verdes. The victims were discovered inside parked cars near picturesque overlooks. Palos Verdes and Pasadena are notorious for having lots of dead cell zones. Here are maps of Palos Verdes dead cell zones and Pasadena dead cell zones.
The Pasadena incident took place early on Saturday along Angeles Crest Highway when authorities received reports of a car crash near mile marker 36.28 (initially reported as mile marker 28.36). Upon arriving at the scene, officers found Jessie Munoz, a 32-year-old resident of Los Angeles, who had been shot multiple times and pronounced dead. A female passenger in the vehicle, a friend of Munoz, was unharmed. According to Lt. Monica Cuellar, a spokesperson for Pasadena police, it appeared that the shooting occurred during a robbery.
In a separate incident a few days later, a man and a woman were fatally shot while inside a blue Subaru parked at an ocean overlook on Palos Verdes Drive. The victims were identified as Jorge Ramos, 36, and Taylorraven Whittaker, 26, who were reported to be dating, as stated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Ramos was known among neighbors and friends as a car enthusiast and member of a local Subaru enthusiast group.
As of the time of reporting, the suspects had not been named, and charges were expected to be filed by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. The arrests occurred at two locations: five men were apprehended in the 7600 block of Woodman Avenue in Panorama City, and a woman was arrested in the 900 block of West 85th Street in the Westchester area. Assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Los Angeles Police Department was utilized during the arrests, during which two handguns and a rifle were confiscated. The spokesperson for the Pasadena police, Lt. Cuellar, anticipated homicide charges to be filed against all six suspects by Monday at the latest.
What Tech Could Police Use To Track Murder Suspects?
Here are common tracking technologies that were likely used.
GPS Tracking: Global Positioning System (GPS) technology allows law enforcement to track the location of vehicles or individuals. Police can attach GPS devices to vehicles or use GPS-enabled smartphones to monitor the movement of suspects. GPS tracking is often used in cases involving stolen vehicles, drug trafficking, or high-profile investigations.
Cell Phone Tracking: Police can obtain court orders to track the location of a suspect's cell phone through cell towers. When a cell phone connects to different towers, it leaves a digital trail that can be used to determine the phone's location. This information can be critical in locating suspects or missing persons.
Surveillance Cameras: Many cities and towns have surveillance cameras installed in public areas. Law enforcement can use footage from these cameras to track the movements of suspects or identify individuals involved in criminal activities.
License Plate Recognition (LPR) Systems: LPR systems use specialized cameras to automatically scan license plates of passing vehicles. The system compares the captured plate numbers against a database of wanted vehicles, stolen cars, or vehicles associated with criminal activity.
Geofencing for Enhanced Surveillance: Geofencing enables law enforcement agencies to establish virtual boundaries around high-crime areas, public events, or critical infrastructure. By setting up these geofences, authorities can closely monitor the movements of potential suspects or criminal elements within the designated areas. When a person of interest enters or leaves these zones, geofencing triggers real-time alerts, allowing law enforcement to respond promptly and efficiently.