Source The Whittier Daily News, Calif.
Authorities believe a suspected gang member arrested in San Diego County for various criminal charges on Monday, April 22, also shot a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy in the back while the motor officer was stopped at a red light in West Covina earlier that day.
The California Highway Patrol arrested Raymundo Duran, 47, on suspicion of driving drunk and weapons possession at the San Onofre Inspection facility in San Diego County, Sheriff Robert Luna said during a Tuesday press conference held at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles.
CHP officers discovered a firearm in Duran's car, a 2008 4-door Toyota Camry, the sheriff said.
"He came through our weigh station yesterday afternoon," CHP Officer Kevin Tao said. "He was arrested on our site for DUI and also for violation of his probation."
Duran was on probation and he had a pistol, Tao added. He didn't know what Duran was on probation for.
Sheriff's homicide detectives found out about the arrest, headed to San Diego County and interviewed Duran in jail.
It is unclear what evidence led them to focus on Duran. Luna only said there was a lot of really good coordination of detective work and they started to connect all the dots.
"Based on statements obtained from Raymundo Duran, surveillance footage from the shooting scene in the city of West Covina, witness statements obtained by homicide detectives and the firearm recovered by CHP officers, our detectives strongly believe that Raymundo Duran is the suspect involved in the shooting of our deputy," Luna said.
Deputy Samuel Aispuro, 43, was released from the hospital and is recovering at home, Luna said.
The motive behind the shooting was unclear.
Aispuro was on training Monday while on duty. He had on his uniform and rode a marked sheriff's motorcycle on southbound Barranca Avenue near East Garvey Avenue North when he was shot around 2:45 p.m.
The bullet did not penetrate the deputy's bulletproof vest, Luna said, saving his life.
Aispuro, who works out of the sheriff's Century Station, has been with the department for 19 and a half years. He is married and has children ages 4 and 2.
Duran was booked Monday night at the San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of being a felon carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a loaded firearm while in public, driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or higher, booking records show. He remained in custody there as of Tuesday afternoon.
His bail on those charges was $1.025 million.
Duran is from Los Angeles County and has an extensive and violent criminal history, Luna said.
Luna thanked West Covina police, the CHP, sheriff's detectives and deputies. He also thanked the witnesses who came forward immediately after the deputy was shot.
"In our eyes, you (witnesses) are heroes," he said.
Kyla Coates, justice and mental health deputy for Supervisor Janice Hahn, said they are relieved that Deputy Aispuro was wearing a bulletproof vest and is expected to make a full recovery.
"This reminds us of the dangers that our sheriff's deputies place themselves in while they work to protect our communities," she said.
She commended the Sheriff's department for acting quickly and making an arrest and thanked the CHP and West Covina Police for their partnership.
Like Luna, Coates also thanked the witnesses.
"We know that this was instrumental in identifying the suspect," Coates said.
"Yesterday afternoon we were all shocked to learn of the news that a motor deputy was ambushed and shot in West Covina, " Esther Lim, justice deputy for Supervisor Hilda Solis, said at the press conference.
It could have had a disastrous ending but luckily the deputy's bulletproof vest protected him from further and serious injury and even death, Lim said.
A Raymundo Duran with the same date of birth and description was arrested by Covina Police the night of Feb. 26, 2022 for a felony, according to booking records.
He pleaded no contest to possession of a firearm by a narcotic addict and was sentenced on April 12, 2022 to 16 months in prison, court records show. As part of the plea deal, a charge of possession of ammunition was dismissed.
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