Arrests Made In Connection With December Shooting At Torrance Mall
TORRANCE (CBSLA) — Torrance Police Department announced Saturday that they had taken two teenagers into custody whom are believed to be connected to a shooting that occurred at a Torrance Mall in December 2021.
The suspects were initially taken into custody by officers from other law enforcement agencies, including the LAPD before they were transferred to Torrance Police Department officials on Saturday.
The two are believed to be connected to a shooting and a carjacking that took place on Dec. 14 outside of Del Amo Fashion Center.
According to a report from Torrance police, the first suspect was arrested on Friday, in possession of two firearms. The second suspect was taken into custody shortly afterwards.
The initial incident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, when a shooting was reported outside of the BJ's Restaurant on West Carson Street. There were three victims who suffered gunshot wounds in the event, each of which was transported to a hospital where they were treated for wounds of varying severity.
After the shooting, the suspects are believed to have committed a carjacking several hundred yards away from the initial location. Authorities later located that vehicle in Long Beach.
Torrance Police Sergeant Mark Ponegalek issued a statement that details the events of the Dec. incident, "Officers discovered the suspects from the shooting near BJ's Restaurant had fled south from the shooting area and committed a carjacking /robbery of an unrelated victim to the shooting," he said. "The victim of the carjacking/robbery was not injured."
Torrance investigators were able to identify the suspects following the investigation that ensued over the greater part of two months.
The identities of the suspects are withheld pending the completion of the investigation.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
