Three fugitives accused of involvement in an April 25 arson fire that killed three young people who were trapped in a blazing South El Monte tire shop were taken into custody in Mexico and returned to the Southland, authorities announced Monday.
German Monrreal, 19, Mario Godina, 19, and Estevan Castillo, 20, were being held without bail. They were arrested in Mexico on Saturday and flown to Los Angeles, where they were booked Sunday on suspicion of murder and arson, according to the sheriff’s department.
A fourth suspect — 19-year-old Roberto Fuentes — was arrested the day after the fire. He has been charged with three counts of capital murder and is being held without bail.
Fuentes allegedly sparked the 5:30 a.m. blaze by throwing a Molotov cocktail into Cheque Tires at 1252 Santa Anita Ave., killing Destiny Aguirre, 18, of Azusa, Rodrigo Gonzalez, 17, of La Puente, and Christopher Jimenez, 17, of El Monte, were killed in the fire.
Arriving firefighters found one of the victims trying to get out of the burning building, but he could not be saved.
A firefighter was treated at a hospital for second-degree burns suffered while trying to rescue the teen and battle the blaze, which took about an hour to extinguish. The other two victims’ bodies were subsequently found inside the business.
Friends said Jimenez had celebrated his birthday a day early with a party at the tire shop. He would have turned 18 on April 26.
Sheriff’s Lt. Victor Lewandowski said Fuentes was at the tire shop at some point before the attack, but it was unclear if he had attended the birthday party.
Detectives used video surveillance footage to identify the suspect vehicle, which led them to Fuentes, according to a sheriff’s spokeswoman.
All four suspects are charged with three counts of murder, along with one count each of arson causing great bodily injury and use of an explosive to injure. Monrreal, Godina and Castillo all appeared in court in El Monte this afternoon. Godina’s arraignment was postponed to Aug. 13, the same day Fuentes is due in court. Arraignment was postponed for Monrreal and Castillo until tomorrow, but the hearing is likely to be put over again until Aug. 13.
All four suspects are eligible for a possible death sentence, but prosecutors will decide later whether to pursue capital punishment. They are all being held without bail.
— Wire reports