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Three alleged gang members and one alleged gang associate were reportedly charged in connection to the attempted robbery and fatal shooting of an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer.
Luis Alfredo De La Rosa Rios, 29; Ernesto Cisneros, 22; and Jesse Contreras, 34, all of whom are alleged members of the F-13 gang, and Rios' girlfriend, Haylee Marie Grishman, 18, were all charged in connection to the death of officer Fernando Arroyos, 27, according to a U.S. Justice Department release obtained by CNN on Thursday (January 13).
Arroyos was reportedly house-hunting with his girlfriend on Monday (Monday 10) when a black pickup drove up to them, according to the complaint.
Rios and Cisneros pointed guns at Arroyos and his girlfriend, ordering them to remove items, which included chains Arroyos was wearing around his neck.
The complaint states a gunfire exchange took place between Arroyos and the two suspects, which resulted in Arroyos being struck and collapsing before the two men fled the scene.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to the scene and transported Arroyos to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
All four of the individuals charged were inside the vehicle during the attempted robbery and shooting, according to the complaint and were charged with violent crime in aid of racketeering, which could carry a death penalty and minimum life sentence in federal prison without the possibility of parole, according to CNN.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore said Arroyos "was starting a very promising career" with the department, which he joined three years prior and was assigned to the Wilshire Division.
"He found himself, after working a series of days in patrol, to have a day off, enjoying it with his girlfriend on a hunt for a house, a place to live, a place to buy and invest in this city and the future of this region," Moore said.
The U.S. Attorney's office described F-13 as a "large, multi-generational street gang that previously has been the subject of federal prosecutions, including two large racketeering cases" in the news release announcing the charges on Thursday.