Four men were behind bars Wednesday in connection with the killing of a security guard who was gunned down at an illegal gambling establishment in the Hollywood Hills area during an attempted robbery.
Steven Hans Dunkel, 23, of Glendora; Matthew Scott Riley, 29, of Panorama; Michael John Blankenship, 52, of Oxnard; and Rudy Javier Madrid, 26, of North Hollywood, were all arrested Monday, according to jail records. All were being held in lieu of $2 million bail, except for Madrid, whose bail was set at $200,000.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, all four were booked on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of Anthony Rivas, 32, of North Hollywood, who was shot about 3:40 a.m. May 31 in the 3300 block of Cahuenga Boulevard.
Police said two armed male suspects wearing ski masks entered the rear of the building that morning, intending to commit a robbery. The security guard began observing the two suspects and removed a pistol from his waistband.
One suspect pointed a rifle at the security guard and fired multiple times, striking and fatally injuring the guard. The suspects fled the scene empty-handed after searching the establishment for money, police said.
After obtaining search warrants at the suspects’ residences, detectives discovered the getaway car used in the killing and two assault rifles used in the crime, police said.
Detectives presume the four suspects may be responsible for other armed robberies, specifically of underground casinos, and asked anyone who may have been victimized to come forward.
Anyone with additional information was asked to contact Valley Bureau Homicide Detective Bucknell at 818-374-1928.