SIB Staff

Homicide Bureau detectives announced a $10,000 reward during a press conference on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, in Monterey Park.  The reward was sponsored by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Second District, approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and offered in exchange for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the shooting death of both victims.

A call for service was dispatched late Thursday evening, October 15, 2020, and advised of a vehicle collision in the 100 block of East 124th Street, in an unincorporated community of Athens Village.  The call entailed a vehicle which drove up a curb and crashed into another car, but as deputies from Century Sheriff’s Station responded, the information in the call was upgraded to a shooting incident.

Lieutenant Brandon Dean said detectives determined 17-year-old Jamele Hill was the driver of the vehicle that night; he rode with 16-year-old Millyon Colquitt in the front seat and three friends in the back seat.  Gunshots were fired in their direction in the 12200 block of Maple Avenue, which struck Jamele, Millyon and the vehicle.  Although both boys suffered wounds to the upper torso, Jamele accelerated southbound on Maple Avenue, in an attempt to escape, and collided into a vehicle parked in the driveway of a house on East 124th Street, where his vehicle came to rest.  The three boys in the back ran for their lives but returned to speak with deputies, once the scene was secure.

Jamele and Millyon were both pronounced dead at the scene, while none of the three backseat passengers were injured.

The young victims were high school students and talented sportsmen; Jamele was a varsity football player being scouted by colleges, and Millyon was a varsity basketball player.  The Colquitt family suffered a big loss not long before the shooting, when Millyon’s mother was killed in a vehicle collision, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother.

There is no suspect information.  Detectives and family members of both victims pleaded with the public to come forth with any information to help solve the case.

If you have information about this incident, please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.  If you prefer to provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google Play or the Apple App Store, or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org/.

To view press conference highlights, visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesCountySheriffsDepartment/posts/4107999575893591

LASD and LAPD Partner to combat hunger

October 30, 2020, at about 11:30 am, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, accompanied by Department members,  LAPD Officers, and LAPD Deputy Chief Jorge Rodriguez held a food drive for community members.
Held at the Greg Smith LAPD Devonshire PALS Youth Center, community members arrived from across the Valley, lining their vehicles to receive donated care baskets and other non-perishable food items. As community members’ vehicles formed an extensive line across lanes of Parthenia Street just east of Wilbur Avenue, deputies and officers were joined by the Devonshire Police Activities League Supporters, Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee, Members of the LASD Community Advisory Council, and MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity).  

Hundreds of families expressed their thanks to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies and Los Angeles Police Officers as they placed boxes and bags of non-perishable foods into their vehicles. Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Jorge Rodriguez and Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva also took an active role in handing out food to families. The vehicle traffic went on for a few hours, as more and more community members formed lines and patiently awaited their turn.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department understands the hardship and challenges individuals and families face during these uncertain times. We believe it is our duty to protect our community from crime and lend a helping hand. Economic hardships and life hurdles have affected everyone during this covid-19 outbreak. We hope that this partnership between Los Angeles law enforcement, the city, and our non-profit organizations brings more help to the community in need. It is this dedication to our community that defines the character of our service.
LAPD Officers and LASD Deputies have profound care for the community, and our efforts to curve hunger are a reflection of that sentiment. We hope that this engagement resonates with the community and builds a solid bridge of trust and understanding.

The Sheriff’s Department is thankful to the Temple Ramat Zion, One Generation, the Greater Los Angeles Food Bank, and Goya Foods of California for their generous contributions. A Special Thanks to Jack Kayajian, who dedicated hundreds of volunteered hours and his ability to navigate through the most challenging times, made this event a success.

Sheriff Villanueva Presents Second Check to Salvation Army – Bell Shelter Veterans

On Tuesday, October 27, 2020, Sheriff Alex Villanueva visited the Salvation Army Bell Shelter, located in the city of Bell. This particular location caters to veterans experiencing homelessness, and provides them with shelter and assistance. Some of the services provided include help with substance abuse, vocational education and job assistance.

During the visit, Sheriff Villanueva participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a recreational area dedicated to him for a previous generous donation. In November, 2019, Sheriff Villanueva visited the Bell Shelter for the first time, and presented shelter representatives with a donation of $17,500.  Proceeds for the donation were generated from sales of the LASD Veteran’s Patch, which has a camouflage background design.

With the 2019 donation, the Bell Shelter was able to enhance and upgrade their recreation room with spacious seating adhering to COVID-19 protocols, a tent for small outdoor group sessions, a projector, and large movie screen for easy viewing from a far distance.

Overwhelming sales of the LASD Veteran’s Patch allowed Sheriff Villanueva to present a second check for $17,500 to the Bell Shelter during his 2020 visit, in support of one of the longest-running homeless shelters in the entire nation.

If you are an adult experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, please call (800) 548-6047 or click on the link https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=2196-lahsa-shelter-list.pdf  
 
Interested in LASD patches? The LASD Veteran’s Patch is available for sale at http://lasdvetpatch.com.   Thank you for helping us make a difference in the lives of our homeless veterans!

Suspect Arrested in 1996 Homicide of Boyle Heights Girl, Extradited from Texas

After almost a quarter-century, the man suspected of killing a 17-year-old girl was identified and slated to face arraignment. On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Homicide Bureau detective, Lieutenant Hugo Reynaga, discussed the circumstances surrounding the young girl’s death, how they located the suspect and how he was brought back to face justice.

On Tuesday, January 30, 1996, the partially-clothed body of Gladys Arellano was discovered at the bottom of a ravine in the Topanga Canyon area of Malibu. The last time she was last seen was three days earlier at her Boyle Heights home, and she was reported missing by her family one day before her body was found.

The results of an autopsy concluded the teen was sexually assaulted, beaten, and strangled to death. Serology evidence was collected from her body, and a DNA profile was uploaded into state and federal DNA databases as that of an unknown offender. Although an extensive investigation was conducted, no match was identified through the DNA databases, and the case remained unsolved.

On Sunday, November 10, 2019, virtually two and a half decades later, a man named Jose Luis Garcia, was arrested by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)-Mission Division personnel for a domestic assault charge. A DNA sample was collected from him during the booking procedure and uploaded into the state DNA database.

In December, 2019, detectives assigned to the Homicide Bureau-Unsolved Case Unit received an alert on the DNA collected during the LAPD-Mission Division jail booking, which returned as a match to the evidence collected in the Gladys Arellano homicide investigation. Detectives Joe Purcell and Shaun McCarthy contacted Garcia at his home in Fontana and asked about his knowledge of the Arellano murder; Garcia was 19 years old when it happened. They obtained a DNA sample from Garcia for comparison and submitted it for forensic testing. Serologists analyzed it and determined Garcia’s sample matched the unidentified donor’s sample obtained in 1996 from the body of Gladys Arellano.

After the detectives’ visit, and as the new DNA sample was processed, detectives learned Garcia relocated to Dallas, Texas. An arrest warrant for Garcia, 43, was obtained, and Detective Purcell notified U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Forces personnel in Dallas.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, Garcia was arrested by task force personnel in Dallas. He was extradited to California on Wednesday, October 14, 2020, arraigned for the charge of Murder on Monday, October 19, 2020, at Van Nuys court, and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

Samantha Moreno, Gladys’ niece and goddaughter, spoke during the press conference, and thanked the detectives for arresting Garcia and not giving up on (finding) their Gladys.  “We are pleased to know that Jose Luis Garcia has been taken off the streets after 24 ½ years,” she said.  “We want nothing more than for him to pay for his brutal crime.  We recognize that this will not bring Gladys back, but we are relieved to know that there will be justice for Gladys, who would have celebrated her 42nd birthday on Saturday, October 24th.”

Elizabeth Arellano, Gladys’ older sister, also spoke at the press conference.  She and Samantha held hands tightly and stood shoulder-to-shoulder as they waited their turn to speak.  In Spanish, she also thanked the detectives and recalled the heartbreaking loss of her sister, ”It was very painful for everyone to lose her and to wait 24 ½ years without knowing who robbed her of life.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau-Unsolved Case Unit is comprised of twelve retired homicide detectives who returned to work on a part-time basis. They use their collective experience of more than 500 years to continue solving stale cases. These detectives hold in high regard that each case represents a life taken and accept the responsibility of tenacious pursuit to determine the circumstances surrounding the loss, no matter how long it takes. They pore over each investigation and take all the pieces of workable information and unexhausted leads as far as they will go. Newly-discovered witnesses, advancements in science and technology, and anonymous tips contribute to these investigators’ successes.  Each unsolved case remains active and available to them until it is fully concluded. The Unsolved Case Unit was furloughed due to budget cuts in July, 2020, but was refunded and reinstated when the Board of Supervisors allocated funding for it. With renewed funding, detectives can continue their efforts and progress toward solving other cases.

 
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau detectives are seeking any victims of assault or sexual assault that may have been in contact with Jose Luis Garcia.
 
Anyone with information, please contact Det. J. Purcell or Det. S. McCarthy, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.