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Authorities with Pasadena Police Department on Wednesday announced the arrest of six gang members in connection with the shooting death of a man last weekend off Angeles Crest Highway, and detectives believe the suspects may have also been involved in the double homicide of a man and a woman early Monday morning in Rancho Palos Verdes.  

On July 22, at around 3 a.m., Pasadena officers responded to mile marker 36.28 on Angeles Crest Highway on reports of a shooting.  

Authorities say the victims in that shooting, identified as 32-year-old Jesse Munoz and a female friend, were in the area to watch the sunrise when two suspects opened fire on the 32-year-old’s car in what detectives are calling a botched robbery. While the female passenger survived and was not injured, Munoz died.  

“Thanks to some technology, we were able to identify two suspects and a suspect vehicle late Monday evening,” Robbery-Homicide Lt. Keith Gomez said at Wednesday’s press conference. “Tuesday, we put together an operation and during that operation, Pasadena PD with some assisting resources…arrested six suspects connected to the homicide that occurred up in Angeles Crest.”

With assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service, five adult males were arrested in the 7600 block of Woodman Street in Panorama City, and a female suspect was simultaneously arrested in the 900 block of West 85th Street in L.A., authorities said in a news release.  

Lt. Gomez added that a vehicle believed to be involved in that homicide was impounded and that detectives also recovered four firearms during the operation. 

Jesse Munoz, 32, shot and killed on July 22, 2023, in Angeles Crest.

“We, the Pasadena PD and the Robbery-Homicide Unit, believe there is a connection to the double homicide in Rancho Palos Verdes,” Lt. Gomez said.  

In what authorities with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department are investigating as a targeted attack, 26-year-old Taylor Raven Whittaker of Carson and 36-year-old Jorge Ramos of Willowbrook, were found shot to death in Ramos’ bullet-riddled car on the morning of July 24.  

The pair were in the parking lot of Pelican Cove Park, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, in Rancho Palos Verdes. According to investigators, a hiker in the area made the gruesome discovery at around 6:30 a.m. and called 911.  

Jorge Ramos and Taylor Raven Whittaker
Jorge Ramos, 36, and Taylor Raven Whittaker, 26, found shot to death on July 24, 2023, in Ranchos Palos Verdes.

During the press conference, Lt. Gomez said that based on their investigation, the six suspects, believed to be members of a criminal gang, may have a pattern of targeting victims who are parked in scenic turnouts or areas that are somewhat desolate and have a poor cellular signal.

They also believe that the suspects, who have not yet been identified and are currently being held in the Pasadena Jail, are connected to other armed robberies in L.A. County.  

While Sheriff Robert Luna said detectives are sharing information with Pasadena PD on the double homicide in Rancho Palos Verdes, investigators say no arrests in the case have been made yet.

In a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for funeral expenses, the family of Jesse Munoz remembered him as a loving person who liked spending time with family and playing guitar in his band.