Thread: Grandma killed while confronting tagger!

Three people arrested in fatal shooting of Good Samaritan
Ruby Gonzales, staff writer
Whittier Daily News

PICO RIVERA - Three people were arrested in connection with the killing of a grandmother who was shot when she confronted a tagger, officials said Wednesday.
Sheriff's Capt. Mike Rothans said detectives are still looking for two men in their late teens and a late model blue Lincoln Continental.

He said the three suspects, who live in Pico Rivera, were arrested Tuesday afternoon.

Cesar Lopez, 19, was booked on suspicion of murder and was being held without bail at the sheriff's Pico Rivera station. He is scheduled for a Friday arraignment at Whittier Court.

Rothans said Jennifer Tafolla, 19, and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of probation violation. He said the boy was taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.

Tafolla was being held at the station without bail and is scheduled to appear Thursday at Norwalk Superior Court.

The arrests stem from the Aug. 10 shooting of Maria Hicks of Pico Rivera.

The 57-year-old Hicks was on her way home when she saw a man spray-painting a wall on San Gabriel River Parkway and Woodford Street. She flashed her car lights, honked her horn and followed the man when he walked away.

Deputies said a car followed her and someone inside fired several shots at Hicks who was struck once in the upper body. She died Aug. 13 at Los Angeles County USC Medical Center.

The autopsy was being conducted Thursday, Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said.

Detectives from sheriff's Homicide Pico Rivera station and deputies from Operation Safe Streets, the Narcotics Bureau and the Community Oriented Policing Services Bureau went to different locations in Pico Rivera and arrested the three suspects late Tuesday afternoon, Rothans said.

The county probation department was also involved in the arrests.

Hicks' brother, Ruben Quintero, was glad to hear arrests had been made, but that the family was more concerned with funeral arrangements for their loved one.

"Our immediate concern is putting our dear sister, mother, grandmother and daughter underground and at rest," Quintero said. "That's the first and most important thing for us."

Quintero said the outpouring of support from the community has been overwhelming.

"The support has been basically the kind of grass roots love that comes from a woman like she was," Quintero said.

The family expects the wake to be Thursday at Funeraria del Angel on East Washington Blvd. in Pico Rivera.

A mass will be held Friday at St. Francis Xavier Church, with burial to follow that day. A reception will later be held at St. Francis. All services are open to those who knew Hicks.

ruby.gonzales@sgvn.com

(562) 698-0955, Ext. 3026


http://www.whittierdailynews.com/portle ... siteId=207

How terrible. At least they caught them.

I have no words.

This poor woman and family..... What a horrible way to end life

All I can picture is "What if that was my grandmother, my mother, daughter or grandchildren

No more of this crap can be tollerated

To shoot a helpless woman in the back, simply because she objected to the vandalists' defacing of America...well, that is the most evil, senseless, cruel act.

These murderers are beyond worthy of even hatred. Nothing short of the death penalty. NOTHING.

I am outraged after reading about this.

The death penalty needs to come swiftly for these murderers.

Reading about all these senseless murders has me fearful for my own family. My self and my 2 teenage boys will be carrying pepper spray everywhere we go. It's ashame that we have to live in fear but this is what can happen when we let our guard down.

Help sought in fugitive hunt
4th suspect in woman's fatal shooting still at large
By Ruby Gonzales Staff Writer


• Wanted for Murder
Ricard Rolon, 21, is a murder suspect in the fatal shooting of Maria Hicks, 57.

PICO RIVERA - Detectives Monday released the photo of a fugitive wanted in the slaying of a grandmother shot after trying to stop an alleged gang member spray-painting a wall.

"We're just seeking the public's assistance in locating this individual," said Lt. Larry Lincoln of the sheriff's Homicide Bureau.

He didn't know where Ricardo Rolon, 21, may have fled after the Aug. 10 fatal shooting of Maria Hicks, 57, in Pico Rivera.

Rolon, who lives in Rowland Heights and is also known as "Palo," is the only defendant still outstanding.

Three suspects are already in custody: 16-year-old Angel Chris "Scrappy" Rojas, 19-year-old Cesar "Criminal" Lopez and 19-year-old Jennifer Ann "Shorty" Tafolla. All live in Pico Rivera.

Hicks' daughter, Melinda Wall, said her family is grateful for any leads from the public that will help catch Rolon.


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She added that nothing will bring her mother back.

"I just hope something good will come out of this, something positive. My mother didn't deserve this," Wall said Monday.

Detectives allege Rojas fired several shots at Hicks' vehicle and struck the longtime Pico Rivera resident once in the head. Rojas is being tried as an adult.

Thesuspects were charged Friday with murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, conspiracy and street terrorism. Prosecutors also filed a special allegation that they committed the murder to further a criminal street gang.

In addition, Rojas was charged with one felony count of unlawful firearm activity and the special allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm.

Court documents and authorities explained why the suspects were in Pico Rivera the night of Aug. 10.

Deputy District Attorney Mike Enomoto said the suspects tagged a wall at San Gabriel River Parkway and Woodford Street because they saw a rival gang's graffiti.

But Enomoto doesn't think it was a spontaneous decision since he said there was a can of white spray paint in the car.

The criminal complaint outlined briefly what the prosecution believed happened before Hicks got shot.

Tafolla allegedly drove the getaway car, a blue 1998 Lincoln Continental. The complaint also alleges Rojas got the handgun and made sure it was loaded.

According to the complaint, Rolon allegedly directed Lopez to scrawl their gang graffiti on the wall. The younger man allegedly complied.

"Defendant Tafolla parked the Lincoln Continental nearby to wait for defendant Lopez to complete his graffiti. Defendant Rojas stood watch with a loaded handgun, while defendant Lopez painted gang graffiti," according to the complaint.

Hicks, who was driving home, later saw Lopez spray painting the wall. Witnesses told deputies she flashed her car headlights and honked her horn.

Prosecutors said Rojas got out of the car and shot several times at Hicks' vehicle. She was struck once in the head and died three days later.

On Aug. 14, deputies arrested Lopez, Rojas and Tafolla.

Rojas remains in the custody of the probation department. Lopez is being held at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles while Tafolla is at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood. They are scheduled for arraignment Sept. 12 at Whittier Court.

A warrant for murder was issued for Rolon's arrest. Deputies said he should be considered armed and dangerous.

He was described as Latino, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

ruby.gonzales@sgvn.com

(562) 698-0955, Ext. 3026


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