A La Habra man has been arrested for the July 24 fatal shooting of a driver in Whittier, police announced recently.
Jesus Hernandez, 46, is the son of the victim’s girlfriend, said Whittier Police Lt. David Elizarraras. Police believe the motive is personal and related to family matters, he added.
Hernandez was arrested Aug. 2 in La Habra and a gun was recovered, Elizarraras said.
Authorities have not yet determined if it was the gun used in the shooting.
Hernandez pleaded not guilty to the murder of Eduardo Munoz and being a felon in possession of a firearm during his Aug. 5 arraignment at Norwalk Superior Court, court records show.
Munoz was in his car when he was shot on Pickering Avenue, north of Penn Street, near St. Mary of the Assumption Elementary School. The car was still in drive when police found it.
The 51-year-old Pico Rivera man died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the medical examiner’s office. Police had given Munoz’ age as 52.
Due to the ongoing investigation, police declined to reveal what led them to identify Hernandez as the suspect.
As of Monday, Hernandez was being held at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles in lieu of $3 million bail. He returns to Norwalk Superior Court on Aug. 19.