Man is charged in fatal carjacking and robbery incidents in Los Angeles
A man has been charged with murder in the death of a driver who was dragged more than two miles last week during a carjacking in South Los Angeles, the district attorney’s office announced Wednesday.
In addition to the murder charge, Joshua Reneau, 31, also faces four counts of assault on a peace officer, two counts of carjacking, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of fleeing a pursuing officer’s vehicle causing death.
At the time of the carjacking, authorities say, Reneau was fleeing police and already wanted in connection with a robbery in which an accomplice was fatally shot on July 29 in Reseda.
Reneau, Derek Lateef Hall, 28, and Miracole Brown, 20, each face one count of murder, five counts of assault with a firearm and two counts of second-degree robbery in the July incident, in which Earl Hunter, 31, was shot to death by a security guard.
Hall also now faces charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with the carjacking.
“I am grateful that these dangerous individuals are now in custody,†Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement. “Those charged in this case showed a wanton disregard for the victims who were needlessly killed and hurt. My heart breaks for all the victims who have suffered but I am thankful that this vicious crime spree has come to an end.â€
Larry Walker, 63, of La Habra, died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries in Thursday’s incident, according to the L.A. County coroner’s office.
The Los Angeles County coroner’s office has identified the driver dragged to death in the carjacking as Larry Walker, 63, of La Habra, who became entangled in his seatbelt after he was forced out of his SUV.
The chase began Thursday after detectives spotted Reneau in the 5900 block of 7th Avenue, just north of Inglewood, Los Angeles police said.
According to police, officers watched him get into the back seat of a Toyota Prius, but when they tried to pull over the vehicle, the driver — later identified by authorities as Hall — fled. After a short pursuit, the driver crashed near Florence and Haas avenues; Reneau ran and carjacked a a gray SUV, police allege.
Reneau crashed into several police vehicles and flipped the SUV at Florence and Prairie avenues, according to police.
Freddie Lee Trone, 40, was booked Tuesday into Los Angeles County jail on suspicion of murder, records show.
After the crash, Reneau refused to get out of the SUV, eventually surrendering after a two-hour standoff, police said.
Walker died at the scene.
All three suspects are in custody, according to online jail records. Hall and Brown are expected to be arraigned on Nov. 5, and Reneau will be arraigned at a later date.
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