Los Angeles, Ca
Woman, man found shot to death in Pomona, suspect leads officers on erratic chase
Loved ones are devastated after a woman and a man were found shot to death at a Pomona apartment complex and the woman’s boyfriend was arrested after leading officers on a dangerous pursuit.
On Friday, friends and family gathered outside the Pomona apartment complex where Veronica Lopez, 24, and Richard Brady, 48, were found fatally shot.
On June 18, Pomona police were called to the Monterey Station Apartments at 180 E. Monterey Ave. just before 3:30 p.m. on reports of a shooting.
Officers made their way up to a fourth-floor apartment hallway where they found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite life-saving measures, both were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect and Veronica’s boyfriend, Robert Galtman, 48, had fled the scene in a Kia sedan.
Around 5 p.m., California Highway Patrol officers spotted his vehicle on the freeway and he led them on a high-speed, hour-long chase before officers successfully performed a PIT maneuver that disabled his vehicle. He surrendered and was taken into custody.
Friends and family members are devastated over the victims’ deaths and have so many unanswered questions.
“I don’t understand,” said Sheila Lopez, Veronica’s mother. “She didn’t deserve this.”
Sheila had spoken to her daughter just hours before the deadly shooting. She told her daughter she would call her later after work, but when she did, her daughter never answered the phone.
Her family later learned that Veronica had been shot and killed and that her boyfriend of several years, Galtman, was under arrest.
Lopez’s family said that Veronica was in an abusive relationship and they believe she was trying to leave her boyfriend when she was killed. They had also previously urged her to leave.
“I believe she was walking away,” Sheila told KTLA’s Lindsey Pena. “I think she should’ve just walked away. This is why this all happened.”
They also believe the other victim, Brady, was likely just trying to help her. Brady’s close friend and the mother of his child, Heather Cantu, agreed, saying helping others in a situation like that is something he would’ve done.
“I just think that if she was in an abusive relationship, that’s what he was doing,” Cantu said.
His brother told The Daily Bulletin that he was aware of Veronica’s abusive relationship.
“My brother helped her out of that situation,” he told the outlet. “They became friends. My brother stuck up for those who couldn’t stick up for themselves. Unfortunately, he walked into a situation out of his control.”
Cantu described him as a loving father to two children and a kind man and who will be greatly missed.
“We’ll all remember how happy he made everybody,” Cantu said. “He was a jokester. He was always happy and he always tried to make everybody else feel good.”
On Friday night, loved ones gathered at a growing memorial outside the Pomona apartment complex where the victims and the suspect all lived.
Sheila said Veronica was the youngest of her five daughters, who always lit up a room and brought joy to those around her.
“She’s definitely someone to miss,” Sheila said. “She’s a great skateboarder. She loves to go to games and she loves her family.”
In a GoFundMe page, loved ones said Veronica “had a way of making everyone around her feel loved and valued. The pain of losing her is unimaginable, and our hearts are broken.”
Galtman remains in custody on $3.1 million bail.
A GoFundMe page to help Veronica’s family with funeral expenses can be found here.
A GoFundMe page to help Brady’s family with funeral expenses can be found here.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Pomona Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 909-620-2085.
Los Angeles, Ca
Victims sought after man allegedly points gun at passing cars in Santa Clarita Valley
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help finding witnesses after a man allegedly pointed a handgun at numerous passing cars in Castaic on June 18.
The man was allegedly seen pointing the gun at cars near Lake Hughes Road and Ridge Route Road between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The suspect was described as wearing a red shirt and black shorts.
Authorities provided a photo of the man seen running in the street while holding something in his left hand.
Anyone who may have witnessed the alleged assaults, is a victim of the incident or has information about the case is asked to call Detective Marinelli at (661) 260-4000 ext. 5618.
Los Angeles, Ca
Sweltering heat wave to grip Southern California next week
Southern California is enjoying a comfortable stretch of below-average temperatures that should continue through Father’s Day, but a strong heat wave is looming.
A significant warming trend will begin early next week before peaking Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
“Another one of those ridges of high pressure is expected to build in, with temperatures really heating up,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said. “We’re looking at temperatures reaching triple digits in parts of the High Desert and Inland Empire as well.”
An extreme heat watch has been issued for parts of Los Angeles County, including Woodland Hills, Pomona, Pasadena, Santa Clarita and other areas, from Tuesday morning through Thursday evening.
Temperatures in those areas could range from the upper 80s to 100 degrees.
The Weather Service suggested the following actions:
- Continue to monitor the latest forecasts, as the amount of heating is still uncertain
- Adjust plans now to stay cool next week
- Check in with elderly neighbors and family members to ensure they are aware of the hot forecast
The high-pressure system is expected to weaken on Thursday, bringing cooler temperatures as we head into next weekend.
Los Angeles, Ca
Armed, dangerous CHP pursuit suspect tied to double homicide in Pomona
A 48-year-old man who led law enforcement on a dangerous pursuit lasting more than an hour is in custody in connection with the shooting deaths of a man and a woman at an upscale Pomona apartment complex Thursday, police announced.
Officers with the Pomona Police Department responded to the Monterey Station Apartments, located at 180 E. Monterey Ave., near North Garey Avenue, just before 3:30 p.m. on reports of a shooting, according to a department news release.
Police, along with responding Los Angeles County firefighters, found the two victims in a fourth-floor apartment.
Paramedics immediately began life-saving measures, but both victims were ultimately declared dead at the scene, investigators said.
Neighbors told KTLA’s Mary Beth McDade that the suspected shooter, Robert Galtman of Pomona, shot his girlfriend and another resident of the apartment complex.
“He shot the girl, that was the girlfriend,” one woman, a resident of the building who did not want to give her name, told KTLA. “I know them because he had tried to hit on me and told me the situation that she was beating him up and that she cheated on him with this guy, the one that was killed.”
Authorities were searching Galtman, who was believed to be in dark-colored sedan that fled the apartments northbound on Towne Avenue near Holt Avenue.
Just before 5 p.m., officers with the California Highway Patrol spotted his vehicle traveling northbound on the 5 Freeway, officials confirmed to KTLA. When officers attempted a traffic stop, he failed to yield and led authorities on a high-speed pursuit that lasted more than an hour.
During the pursuit, he made a U-turn on the freeway and headed southbound before exiting in Castaic and taking Lake Hughes Road through the hills toward the Antelope Valley.
Sky5 was over the dangerous chase as Galtman was seen tossing unknown items from the vehicle, including some type of liquid, swerving dangerously onto the shoulder and refusing to stop as at least four CHP units followed closely behind.
He initially dodged several spike strips deployed by officers, at one point driving on the shoulder in Lancaster before clipping one of the strips with the vehicle’s left side, causing both tires to deflate.
Still refusing to stop, Galtman continued at about 30 mph until a CHP officer accelerated and performed a PIT maneuver that spun the vehicle and disabled it.
He was quickly surrounded by officers with guns drawn but did not immediately comply.
Following law enforcement commands, Galtman exited the vehicle, surrendered and was taken into custody.
The identities of the two victims are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Authorities have not released a motive in the deadly shooting. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Pomona Police Department’s Detective Bureau at 909-620-2085.
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