Article Launched: 8/03/2006 12:00 AM
Man, teen in custody suspected in woman's shooting death
By Ruby Gonzales, Staff Writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Detectives believe a man and a teen being held on other crimes fatally shot a Chino Hills woman on the 60 Freeway during a three-week crime spree in San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.
Alejandro Mendoza Sandoval, 23, and Guillermo Rogelio Sanchez, 14, are suspects in the April 16 fatal shooting of Monira Qutubuddin, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Greg Hinkle.
But the Fontana residents have not been charged with Qutubuddin’s killing. The case is still being reviewed by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.
Police believe the pair tried to carjack, rob and kill people in several San Bernardino County communities April 14-16 and May 4. No one was killed in these cases. Sanchez is also a suspect in a crime that happened June 12, prosecutors said.
Sandoval and Sanchez have pleaded not guilty in Fontana Superior Court to charges of attempted murder, attempted robbery, carjacking, attempted carjacking and evading police.
San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Cary Epstein said he cannot go into the specifics of their cases.
Sanchez is being held at a juvenile facility in San Bernardino, he said. Sandoval also remains in custody at Central Valley in San Bernardino. Their next court date is Aug. 7 in Fontana. The two are being tried together for the crimes committed during the spree.
Epstein said he expects his office will make a decision on whether to file charges on the Qutubuddin killing within a week.
It’s the only case, so far, in Los Angeles County tied to the two suspects.
Qutubuddin was on her way to meet friends in Brea on April 16, and detectives believe she got on the westbound 60 at Grand Avenue in Diamond Bar.
Homicide detectives believe the shooting happened as the 22-year-old Qutubuddin approached the interchange with the 57 Freeway. Her silver Toyota Corolla drifted to the center divider and came to a stop on the transition road to the southbound 57.
Another driver came upon the Toyota that Easter morning, thought there had been an accident and called California Highway Patrol. Qutubuddin died of her injuries April 18.
Hinkle said the suspects were driving a white Ford F150 with darkened windows and allegedly carjacked another motorist 45 minutes after Qutubuddin’s shooting in Ontario, Los Angeles County sheriff’s said.
"She had no clue," said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Homicide Detective Elizabeth Smith. "We all use that freeway. It could have been any one of us."
Detectives are also looking for witnesses who were in a blue van and an older model white van, possibly a Chevrolet Astro. A witness said the vans got on the freeway in Ontario.
A motorist saw the white van swerve when it reached the interchange and thought its occupants might have seen the shooting, Smith said.
"We do believe other people were on the freeway at the time. We’re hoping people will come forward," she said. "This was Easter Sunday. People might remember."
The crimes in San Bernardino County spanned several communities.
Investigators from San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and police departments in Ontario, Rialto, Fontana and San Bernardino identified a common pattern in a series of crimes beginning in early April, according to Ontario Detective Robert Freire.
He said there were similarities in the suspect descriptions, the vehicle used to commit the crimes and the weapon.
Ontario police first noticed a similarity with a robbery and shooting on April 14 and a carjacking on April 15 in their city. The victims weren’t injured.
Detectives soon learned of more crimes in surrounding cities, Freire said.
Rialto Det. Kurt Kitterle said the duo surfaced twice in Rialto, and at least once slipped through the law’s grip.
In the first incident, officers tried to pull over a truck matching descriptions of the one used in previous crimes at about 1:30 a.m. on April 15.
"A short pursuit ensued, but the vehicle managed to evade the officer and got away," Kitterle said.
The second time was nearly deadly.
At about 2 a.m. on May 4 a truck matching the same description pulled alongside a woman driving south on Riverside Avenue. Just before First Street, the truck suddenly swerved in front of the unidentified woman. Police believe it was the 14-year-old who hopped from the truck, produced a rifle and began firing into the woman’s windshield, Kitterle said.
"The woman managed to shift into reverse and speed backwards for about a block before crashing into a fixed post."
The suspects fled. The woman escaped shaken, but unhurt.
Details about the other crimes were not available.
Qutubuddin was driving a silver 2003 Toyota Corolla with the license plate number 4YCY562. Anyone with information on her shooting is asked to call Sgt. Greg Hinkle and Detective Elizabeth Smith at (323) 890-5500.
Staff writer Robert Rogers contributed to this report.
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