By Jacob Hancock
Authorities in Los Angeles want a 22-year-old Orem man extradited to California to face trial on a charge of accomplice to murder in connection with a fatal July drive-by shooting in Pico Rivera, Calif.
When homicide Detective Steve Leavins, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff”s office, told Orem police Sgt. Matt Pederson he had a lead that suspect Sergio Torres might have left Los Angeles to take up residency in Orem, it wasn”t long before Pederson had him handcuffed.
“I have to say, those guys in Orem were very helpful and professional about catching this guy,” Leavins said. “We had officers down there shortly after.”
After checking several possible addresses of residency, Pederson spotted Torres” 2005 black Cadillac at 607 W. 20 North and waited for Torres to leave.
When he did leave, officers followed him, pulling him over three miles away during a routine traffic stop.
“Torres was arrested without incident,” said Orem police spokesman Lt. Doug Edwards.
Los Angeles homicide officials allege that Torres was driving on July 23 when a passenger in his car shot 24-year-old Ricardo Chagollan after a party they both attended.
“He [Chagollan] was minding his own business,” Leavins said. “Then he was shot down. It was absolutely no accident, and Torres assisted in the murder.”
Though the shooter was a gang member, the shooting was not gang related, Leavins said.
Torres appeared in 4th District Court Tuesday morning and told Judge Steven Hanson that he would fight extradition.
The extradition process could take months, Leavins said, “after a long series of hearings.”
