Suspected Gunman In Triple Shooting At Monrovia Bar Surrenders To Police
MONROVIA (CBSLA) — A reputed gang member has surrendered to authorities a month after being named as the suspect in a Monrovia shooting that killed one man and wounded two others.
Jeremiah LaCroix, 31, turned himself in at the Larry Smith Dentention Center in Banning at about 1:30 p.m. Sunday and was later booked on a murder warrant at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Norwalk Station, according to Deputy Charles Moore.
LaCroix was wanted in the shooting death of 43-year-old Michael Lowe of Monrovia, who authorities say was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of an apparent gang shooting at Gem City Grill just after midnight on Dec. 2, 2017.
Lowe died after being taken to a hospital. Two other men, both 24 years old, were also hit by gunfire but recovered from their wounds.
William LaCroix, Jr., Jeremiah LaCroix's brother, and 33-year-old Erika Torres, both of Monrovia, were also arrested in Lowe's slaying. The pair was caught by Monrovia police as ran out of the restaurant and bar after the shooting, according to sheriff's Lt. Derrick Alfred.
The two are charged with one count each of murder in Lowe's death, along with four counts each of attempted murder and two counts each of resisting an executive officer, said Greg Risling of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. The charges include gang allegations.
The LaCroix brothers' parents, who live in Commerce, are accused of helping their younger son avoid arrest after the shooting.
William LaCroix Sr., 57, is charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact. Ana Guerrero, 53, is charged with two counts of being an accessory after the fact.
"Her level of involvement was a little greater than the father's," Alfred said of Guerrero.
All four defendants have pleaded not guilty and remain jailed while awaiting their next appearance in a Pasadena courtroom Jan. 16, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require them to stand trial.
Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Biddle said he believed it was "happenstance" that members of two rival gangs just happened to wind up in the same restaurant, which is known more for its live music than for gang activity.
Also being sought are Jacob Webb -- a 29-year-old Hispanic man who goes by the moniker "King Khash" and is accused of assisting Jeremiah LaCroix avoid apprehension after the shooting -- and the alleged getaway driver, a male Hispanic with the possible name "Alfonso" who drives a white Toyota Camry or a similar car, according to the sheriff's department.
"This needs to be known that if these acts continue and more (members) of the public come out and continue to aid him, that they face the same consequences that his parents and Jacob Webb are going to face," Alfred said.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
