A Pico Rivera man was charged with murder Tuesday, Sept. 2, in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old Costa Mesa boy at a Pico Rivera gas station while the teen’s mother was working her shift.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait and one count of carrying a loaded handgun in public against 20-year-old Andres Adan Chavez, according to the criminal complaint.
The DA’s Office also alleges that Chavez personally used a handgun to commit the crime, that he intentionally fired the gun and that he personally and intentionally fired the gun causing the death of Saith Mendez.
If convicted, Chavez faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
His Tuesday arraignment at Downey Superior Court was continued to Sept. 29 at Norwalk Superior Court, a court official said. A judge also granted the prosecution’s request that Chavez be held without bail.
The shooting happened the night of Aug. 23 at the 76 station in the 8800 block of Whittier Boulevard, where Mendez’s mother works.
Mendez got out of his mother’s car where he was waiting, went to the station, talked to her then walked away, Sheriff Robert Luna said at a Thursday press conference during which he asked for the public’s help in finding Chavez.
Chavez was a passenger in a tan car that stopped at one of the pumps. The driver got out and went to the service window, Luna said.
Chavez also stepped out of the tan car and lingered around.
As Mendez walked past him, Chavez allegedly stepped toward the boy and shot him without provocation, Luna said. After Mendez fell, Chavez allegedly stood over him and fired several more shots, Luna added.
Chavez fled after the shooting.
It wasn’t a tip from the community but investigative leads that led deputies to find Chavez in the 9500 block of Whittier Boulevard on Thursday night, sheriff’s Lt. Michael Modica said.
Detectives also suspected Chavez was in the local area after the shooting.
He frequents the riverbed and has several other locations he is associated with, Modica said.
Court records in Los Angeles County don’t show any prior convictions for Chavez. But he was convicted of assault in Bakersfield last year.
He was arrested for the assault on Jan. 24, 2024. He pleaded no contest on Feb. 7, 2024 to misdemeanor assault using force likely to cause great bodily injury and misdemeanor battery with serious bodily injury, Kern County court records show.
Chavez was sentenced to 29 days in jail and one year probation for the assault. But he served only 15 days in jail, according to court records.
Details about the assault itself were not available. A spokeswoman for Bakersfield police couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Chavez was being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.