Aug 5, 2008 1:51 pm US/Pacific
Police Offer Reward For Tips On Deputy Murder
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
Two rewards totaling $95,000 were offered today for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot and killed a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy over the weekend.
Deputy Juan Escalante, 27, was shot about 5:40 a.m. Saturday outside his home in the 3400 block of Thorpe Avenue in Cypress Park. He was not wearing a uniform but was on his way to work.
Escalante worked in the county jail system, guarding some of the
region's most dangerous inmates, including members of the Mexican Mafia.
Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes, who represents the area where the deputy was killed, sponsored a $75,000 reward that was approved by City Council.
"We need to do everything in our power to provide the support that our
officers need to track down these killers," Reyes said.
On a motion by Supervisors Michael Antonovich and Gloria Molina, the
county Board of Supervisors approved a $20,000 reward in the case.
At a news conference on declining crime in the city, Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa called Escalante's murder "senseless."
"Let me just say, on behalf of all of the residents of the city of Los
Angeles, how mortified we are, how horrified we are at this homicide. A good man, a man who put his life on the line. A family man, a young man who grew up in a neighborhood very close to where I've lived for a long time," Villaraigosa said.
Los Angeles police Capt. Denis Cremins said police have no new
information about the killing.
"We're still making aggressive attempts to reach out to the community.
Anybody who is a witness to it, heard something or has heard somebody talking about it, bragging about it -- we're pursuing a number of avenues," Cremins said.
Escalante had been a sheriff's deputy for two-and-a-half years and was
assigned to the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, which is where almost all newly sworn deputies start their law enforcement careers.
Witnesses reported seeing a light-colored sedan roll up shortly before
shots rang out near Isabel Street, a gang-infested neighborhood about three miles north of the jail.
Funeral services for Escalante will be held at 9 a.m. Friday at the
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, 966 N. Potrero Grande Drive,Montebello, according to the Sheriff's Department.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
