A man suspected of fatally shooting a 25-year-old employee during an attempted robbery at a Jack in the Box restaurant in El Monte in October is behind bars, but the getaway driver remains at large, sheriff's homicide detectives said Thursday.
Louie Francisco Herrera, 20, was arrested on Jan. 9 and charged two days later with a single count of murder. He's being held without bail and is set to be arraigned Feb. 2 in Pomona.
The murder charge includes a special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of an attempted robbery. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.
Juan Manuel Vidal, who had recently completed pharmacy technician training and was engaged to be married, was gunned down about 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 in the restaurant in the 9200 block of Flair Drive.
Rewards for information leading to Vidal's masked killer — totaling $55,000 — were offered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the city of El Monte, the Jack in the Box franchise where Vidal worked and the restaurant's corporate office.
The sheriff's department earlier released surveillance images of the shooter in the hope that someone could help identify him.
At a news conference this morning, the victim's tearful mother thanked homicide detectives.
"You guys were so helpful to capture this monster that did this to my son," Mary Smay said. "But I still miss my son."
Sheriff's Homicide Bureau Capt. Steven Katz said tips came in from various sources that led investigators to focus on Herrera as the suspected killer, but he declined to be more specific.
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"The case is still active, so I have to be a bit guarded about what I provide you,'' Katz told reporters. "But I can tell you multiple leads came in to Sheriff's Homicide Bureau, specifically identifying our suspect as the party responsible."
Detectives believe Herrera is also connected with other robberies in the San Gabriel Valley area, Katz said.
In the Jack In The Box shooting, an armed, masked man entered the eatery and immediately jumped over the counter where the victim was standing in an apparent armed robbery attempt, according to Deputy Ryan Rouzan of the Sheriff's Information Bureau.
The suspect turned toward Vidal and fired at least one shot, which struck him in the upper body, then immediately jumped back over the counter and fled without obtaining any money or property from the restaurant, Rouzan said.
Sheriff's officials asked for public help to find Herrera's alleged accomplice, who was driving a charcoal gray Lexus IS 300. Anyone with
information on the case was urged to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
