Andres Adan Chavez Arrested;- A man was charged on Tuesday with murder related to the shooting death of a 13-year-old boy at a Pico Rivera gas station where the victim’s mother was employed.
The murder charge against 20-year-old Andres Adan Chavez includes the special circumstance allegation of murder while lying in wait, as well as claims that he personally used and intentionally discharged a firearm, as stated in the criminal complaint.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is anticipated to make a decision later regarding the pursuit of the death penalty against Chavez, who is referred to in the complaint by the nickname “Evil.”
He is also facing a felony charge for carrying a loaded firearm either on his person or in a vehicle, with an allegation that he was not the registered owner of the weapon, according to the complaint.
Chavez was apprehended last Thursday by deputies from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s department in connection with the August 23 killing of Saith Toledo Mendez at a gas station located in the 8800 block of Whittier Boulevard.
The teenager had been waiting in his mother’s vehicle for her to complete her shift but went inside the station to converse with her. He subsequently exited and walked past Chavez, who had emerged from a sedan and was loitering at the station, as reported by Sheriff Robert Luna.
“Unprovoked, suspect Chavez drew a firearm, took several steps toward Saith, and shot him at close range,” the sheriff stated.
The boy’s mother witnessed the gunman shoot her child “in the back without prior interaction,” Luna added.
After the boy fell, the suspect allegedly stood over him and fired multiple rounds into him before fleeing on foot into a nearby residential area, according to the sheriff.
The driver of a tan vehicle and a female passenger remained at the scene and were questioned and released pending further investigation.
Chavez, who made his initial court appearance in the case on Tuesday in a Downey courtroom, was ordered to be held without bail. He is scheduled to appear next in a Norwalk courtroom for arraignment on September 29.
