2nd suspect to be tried late this year on 16 felony counts including a La Mirada murder
NORWALK- The trial for one of two suspects in a deadly crime spree last year was expected to begin this morning for Reyna Gomez, 26, of Whittier in Department H at the Superior Court Building in Norwalk.
Gomez has elected to have a trial by jury.
Last Friday it was determined that the two suspects would have separate trials after appearing at most court hearings at the same time since the accusation was filed in court.
The second suspect in the case, Alejandro Lazo, 21, also of Whittier is expected to go to trial in October.
Gomez and Lazo, are accused of killing a Norwalk father of two in La Mirada, four additional random shooting incidents that left three men hospitalized with gunshot wounds and a carjacking on April 29th over a three hour period on a Saturday afternoon.
The self-proclaimed gang members have both pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder, 14-counts of attempted murder, and one count of carjacking. Gomez also faces an additional charge of torture for shooting one of the Whittier victim's in the groin.
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| Jose Sahagun, 44, lost his life in the 3-hour crime spree |
Lazo will be tried separately tentatively in November and is being held on bail set at $16 Million at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic
The tragedy began to unfold at about 1 p.m. when shots fired from the Kia Rio SUV they were in struck a man in the leg in the 10000 block of Carmenita Road in South Whittier.
About three miles to the northwest the pair resurfaced at about 2:15 p.m.when they took a man's green Nissan Pathfinder SUV at gunpoint in the 11100 block of Rose Hedge Drive in unincorporated West Whittier. The man was not injured.
Just over an hour later a man in his 50's walking down a sidewalk behind the Starbucks on Whittier Blvd and Colima Road was randomly shot in the groin by Gomez from the stolen SUV at 3:35 p.m.
Just minutes later two motorists were shot at, but missed, while stopped for a red-light at Colima Rd and Lambert Rd.
Lazo and Gomez proceeding south into La Mirada where again another motorist was targeted as they passed by the area of the Del Taco restaurant in the 15000 block of Imperial Hwy hitting a man in the arm at about 4 p.m.
The stolen Pathfinder continued down Imperial about a mile, making a right turn onto Santa Gertrudes.
Just up ahead, only seconds down the road motorists stopped for a red light at Alicante Road were about to be terrorized by two thugs out for a joyride were about to unleash a barrage of bullets in all directions leaving two young boys ages four and six watching as their father died before there very eyes.
The father 44-year-old Jose Sahagun, a social worker employed by Los Angeles County, died of multiple gunshot wounds at the scene as his wife Agueda also looked on.
None of the other motorists that were fired at were hit.
Several hours later at 6:30 p.m. the stolen Pathfinder was found abandoned at Amelia E. Mayberry Park on Meyer Road in South Whittier
About 8 p.m. that same night Whittier Police received a call from the Budget Inn in the 15000 block of Carmenita Road about a person being shot. Lazo and Gomez were both found inside a stolen vehicle with gunshot wounds of their own. An alert officer at the scene noticed the two matched the descriptions from the earlier shooting spree and further investigation confirmed the involvement of the pair.
Gomez is being held on $16,050,000 bail at the Century Regional Detention
Center in Lynwood.
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