Three teenaged men are facing murder and other felony charges after an alleged follow-home robbery in West Los Angeles left one man dead and another man in critical condition with a gunshot wound to his head.
The suspected robbers, teenagers from Oakland, allegedly confronted a husband and wife in the driveway of their home on Sept. 13, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a news release.
Information previously released by police indicates the robbery occurred in the 11400 block of North Thurston Circle.
After demanding the victims’ property at gunpoint, the teens shot the husband in the head, the District Attorney’s Office said, and that man remains in critical condition.
Man shot in head during robbery attempt in upscale Los Angeles neighborhood At some point during the altercation, one of the teens, Mario Melara, was fatally wounded, officials added, though they did not immediately return a request for more information as to how Malara was killed.
Police previously said Malara succumbed to his wounds at a local hospital.
The other three returned to Northern California, where they were arrested on Oct. 10.
The three alleged robbers — 19-year-old Jason Melara, 19-year-old Daymonee Johnson and 18-year-old Mahki Taylor, all face one count of murder, one count of second-degree robbery, one count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, two counts of attempted second-degree robbery and two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, as well as a special allegation of the use of a firearm.
Additionally, Taylor was charged with one count of attempted murder, indicating officials believe he was the one who pulled the trigger in the husband’s shooting.
In the release, Gascón said he and his office are “committed to cracking down on” follow-home robberies.
“No one should fear for their safety simply by returning home, and we will not tolerate this kind of violence in our community,” Gascón said. “Our office and particularly our Community Violence Reduction Division will continue working relentlessly with law enforcement to hold those responsible for these heinous acts accountable and ensure justice is served.”
The trio is set to be arraigned Friday. Each is being held without bail and faces a possible life sentence in prison if convicted.
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