LOS ANGELES — A suspect who engaged in an attempted carjacking has been charged with fatally shooting a Good Samaritan as the perpetrator was trailed from a scene following a different crime in Covina, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
Trevor Howard Thompson, 34, of Glendora, is facing multiple charges, which include murder, attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, attempted carjacking, second-degree burglary of a vehicle, resisting an officer, vandalism and felon in possession of a firearm, KTLA reported.
The series of crimes began about 11 p.m. Dec. 21 along the 1100 block of North Charter Drive. Officers of the Covina Police Department responded to a theft in progress from a parked BMW. Upon arrival they discovered a witness had been murdered.
The theft suspect had apparently been seen by several witnesses in the neighborhood who followed him to the 1800 block of East Covina Boulevard. The group then confronted Thompson, who reportedly responded with gunfire. As he fired at the witnesses, one individual was struck and killed, according to law enforcement authorities.
The murder victim was identified as Joey Casias, 38, of Covina, according to KTLA.
The DA’s Office said Thompson also attempted to carjack another person’s vehicle during the chaos in his attempt to get away, but eventually fled the scene on foot and eluded capture.
However, the following afternoon, Thompson was spotted by a UPS driver in the 5100 block of North Bonnie Cove Avenue.
After being located, Thompson ran into an apartment complex where he “initially refused to surrender to officers and fired a round inside the patio area,” police said. Moreover, the violent suspect also disabled a police camera bot, according to the DA’s office.
Law enforcement authorities engaged Thompson in a standoff that lasted about four hours before the suspect climbed out of the patio area and again tried to run.
Officers fired less-lethal munitions at Thompson and successfully took him into custody. Police said they recovered a firearm from the scene, KTLA reported.
🚨UPDATE!🚨
The Covina Police Department presented our homicide investigation to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. Filing 8 felony charges against Trevor Thompson. pic.twitter.com/37rnQYoQAr— Covina PD (@covinapd) December 28, 2021
Thompson’s arraignment was postponed until Tuesday.
“This is an especially heartbreaking incident since Mr. Casias was simply acting as a Good Samaritan,” the DA’s Office said. “As we seek to ensure accountability, we also will make every possible service available to the victims and their families.”