STAFF REPORTS

Walnut/West Covina – A suspect was fatally shot in West Covina after a car chase and a home invasion robbery occurred in Walnut.

On Friday, Feb. 13 at around 4:57 p.m., a male called the Walnut Sheriff’s Station and stated that a man was in his home with a gun demanding money from his mother, according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department. The caller also stated that a black car was parked in front of his residence, which was located near Lemon Avenue and Amar Road.

When Sheriff’s deputies arrived to the Walnut residence, a black vehicle was reported to be driving towards them at a high rate of speed. A pursuit was initiated and police followed the suspect to the parking lot off Nogales Street and La Puente Road in unincorporated West Covina.

The male suspect then ran from the vehicle and into a Bestway Market, where he ran through the back door and into the neighborhood behind the market. The suspect ran through several backyards in the neighborhood in an attempt to evade Sheriff’s deputies, according the Sheriff’s Department.

At around 5:20 p.m., the suspect was located in the 19100 block of Elberland Street, in unincorporated West Covina. A deputy-involved shooting occurred and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. However, no weapon has been found at or near the scene, according to sheriff officials.

The suspect was later identified as Javier Mendez, 35.

A female adult passenger of the suspect’s vehicle was taken into custody and a young child who was in the vehicle was taken into protective custody.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.