Brandon Goytia Obituary, Death; – The 18-year-old robbery suspect, who was fatally shot by detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department during a shootout that ensued following a chase outside a shopping mall in West Hills, was identified on Friday.
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, as detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau were collaborating with detectives from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on an investigation related to two recent armed robberies and an assault with a deadly weapon that had taken place in the vicinity.
One of the incidents involved the gunpoint robbery of a woman’s purse in the 4700 block of Commons Way in Calabasas, which took place at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Roughly 90 minutes later, in the 30000 block of Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Westlake Village, a male suspect threatened a female victim by pointing a handgun at her, as reported by the sheriff’s department.
It remains uncertain whether these crimes are connected to the deceased suspect; however, the sheriff’s department indicated that around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, detectives investigating these cases observed the suspect robbing a woman outside the Fallbrook Center Shopping Plaza, located in the 6600 block of Fallbrook Avenue, between Vanowen Street and Victory Boulevard.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s department, “When detectives attempted to intervene to prevent the robbery from taking place by detaining the male suspect and to safeguard the female victim from potential harm, a deputy-involved shooting occurred.”
The suspect was struck, and detectives provided medical assistance until personnel from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived and pronounced him deceased.
On Friday, he was identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner as Brandon Goytia.
A woman, believed to be an accomplice of the deceased, fled the scene in a vehicle heading south on Fallbrook Avenue but was later located in Agoura Hills and taken into custody.
Lt. Steven De Jong stated, “It appears that the suspect was armed with a semi-automatic handgun featuring an extended magazine.”
An unidentified woman was heard screaming upon her arrival at the mall, bursting through the yellow crime scene tape.
