Board of Supervisors

$30,000 Reward in Search for Arson, Murder Suspects

Investigators hope the rewards could lead to fresh clues in the fire that killed three teens.

Authorities announced a total of $30,000 in reward money Thursday morning for information about the suspects responsible for the South El Monte arson fire that killed three teenagers in April.

LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis announced a $20,000 reward approved by the Board of Supervisors for information that may assist efforts to apprehend Mario Godina, 19, German Monrreal, 20, and Estavan Castillo, 20.

The $20,000 is on top of another $10,000 reward announced by the city of South El Monte Thursday to support the efforts.

The $30,000 reward is intended to encourage people with information to come forward, Solis's spokeswoman said.

On April 25, the suspects allegedly set fire to Cheque Tires in the 1200 block of North Santa Anita Avenue.

The blaze claimed the lives of Carlos Jimenez, Destiny Aguirre, both 18, and 17-year-old Rodrigo Gonzalez.

"All she ever tried to do was to try and make everyone come together as a happy family, all she wanted was happiness," Alisha Gonzalez said, a family friend of Aguirre's. "They took her from her beautiful angels. She has two beautiful baby girls that are never going to be able to see the light of their mom."

Firefighters tried in vain to save a badly burned man from the burning tire shop, later identified as Rodrigo Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was trapped behind a locked industrial fence and trying to escape, but he was overcome by the flames before firefighters could break through to him, according to Los Angeles County Fire and sheriff's department officials.

A firefighter suffered burns to his face during the rescue attempt.

Aguirre and Jimenez were discovered inside the tire shop after the fire.

Surveillance video showed several young men, who according to police, are the one's responsible for igniting the deadly inferno.

According to police, Aguirre, Jimenez and Gonzalez were at the tire shop celebrating a birthday. Authorities said the suspects were there as well, although, they left at one point and returned, allegedly hurling Molotov cocktails into the business that started the fire.

The surveillance images helped detectives identify a vehicle that led them to Roberto Fuentes of Baldwin Park.

Fuentes was arrested and charged with three counts of murder with special circumstance of committing multiple murders.

Police are still searching for Monrreal, Godina and Castillo, along with a man who police consider a person of interest, known only as Jorge, who was seen wearing sunglasses on the surveillance footage.

"I'm confident that we will get them," said Detective Victor Lewandowski.

Anyone with information about the suspects still at large is encouraged to call Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers 800-222-8477.

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