Report says El Monte officers shot and killed in ambush were not warned that suspect was armed, on PCP
A California police dispatcher failed to tell two officers before they were fatally shot by a convicted gang member that the suspect reportedly had a gun and was under the influence of PCP and methamphetamine, according to a 911 recording.
El Monte Police Department Officer Joseph Santana, 31, and Cpl. Michael Paredes, 42, were ambushed and killed on June 14, 2022, while responding to a report of a stabbing at a motel near Los Angeles. Another officer was wounded. The gunman, 35-year-old Justin Flores, then shot and killed himself.
Officers were dispatched to the scene after Flores' wife, Maria Zepeda, called 911 to report that he had stabbed their daughter at the Siesta Inn, located on the corner of Garvey Avenue and Central Avenue.
She reportedly told the dispatchers that her husband was armed with a gun and under the influence of PCP and meth.
However, a new report claims that the information was never relayed to the officers arriving on the scene. They were ambushed by Flores when they confronted him.
Detective Amber Montenegro, a lead investigator for the case, confirmed that the dispatcher did not inform officers over the radio that Flores possibly had a gun and was on drugs. But the information was typed into the computer-aided dispatch system and visible to the responding officers on the computer terminals in their patrol vehicles, Montenegro said.
"They definitely had all the information in their boxes before they arrived, so they were able to look at the call and review it," Montenegro said during a Dec. 2023 briefing with Santana's family.
Montenegro said the dispatcher shouldn't be blamed. "You can't put any of this all on one person," she said.
Flores was on probation for a gun charge at the time of the shooting, which occurred a day after his probation officer requested that he return to court later in the month, according to court records.
Santana's sister, Jessica Santana, spoke at a rally in El Monte on Monday, where loved ones and family members of the officers called for department changes.
"I am here with the hope that those who failed my brother on that fateful day are held accountable," Santa said. "My brother's life matters and we will not let his memory fade away. The truth has potential to save the lives of officers who put themselves on the line daily, and the safety of the community as well."
El Monte Police Chief Jake Fisher said he stands by the actions of his dispatchers and officers. Fisher released a statement on Monday to note that the department is actively working with the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's Office in completing the final steps in the investigation.
"We fully anticipate this finding to hold and that our DA will officially clear all involved officers and close the investigation," Fisher said.