LAPD Arrests Three Suspects for Gang-Related Murders NR10224rf

April 29, 2010

Johnny Thomas murder –Southeast Area
Kevin Bautista murder – 77th Street Area
Larick Matheson murder – Southwest Area

Los Angeles:  Despite the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) fiscal constraints, officers working the South Bureau’s Criminal Gang Homicide Group continue to successfully pursue and apprehend some of this City’s most dangerous criminals.  
    
Between April 20 and 28, 2010, three murder suspects were taken into custody and are expected to be charged with criminal homicide.  Each year, the South Bureau accounts for over one-third of all homicides occurring in the City.  Investigators working tirelessly combat this trend to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.  

On April 20, 2010, 37-year-old Charles Holmes, Jr. was arrested and charged with the murder of 34-year-old Johnny Thomas.  The murder occurred on Feb. 25, 2010, at 2:15 a.m.  Victim Thomas was standing at the corner of 93rd Street and Avalon Boulevard.  Neighbors heard an argument followed by a gunshot.  Southeast Area patrol officers responded to a call of shots fired and discovered the victim lying on the sidewalk.  Thomas was pronounced dead from his gunshot injuries at the scene by responding paramedics.
 
Follow-up investigation on the incident, which was believed to be gang related, led to the arrest of Holmes.  Detectives are still seeking anyone who may have additional information that could aid in Holmes’ prosecution.  

On Saturday, March 27, 2010, at 6:15 p.m., Kevin Bautista, a 21-year-old Black male, was sitting in the passenger seat inside his vehicle in the 1600 block of West 84th Street. The suspects drove up in a gray sedan and stopped at the southeast corner of 84th Street and Harvard Boulevard.  One suspect exited the car and walked north across the street, then east on 84th Street and approached the victim.  The suspect confronted Bautista about his gang affiliation,  produced a handgun and then shot the victim.  The suspect ran west to the awaiting vehicle in which there was an additional suspect and both left the area, heading north on Harvard Boulevard.  Los Angeles City Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and transported Bautista to California Hospital where he died from his injuries.  

On April 28, 2010, at 12:30 p.m., LAPD Gang and Narcotics Division detectives arrested Matthew Moore II, a 26-year-old Black male, at his residence in Hawthorne, Calif., for Bautista’s murder.  The detectives also located a gray 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, which they believe the suspect used during the incident.  Criminal Gang Homicide Group detectives will present the case against Moore to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Friday, April 30, 2010, for filing consideration.

A fugitive in a Los Angeles murder was apprehended in Rochester, N.Y., on Thursday, April 22, 2010.  The murder occurred on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009, at approximately 8:25 p.m.  The victim, 58-year-old Larick Matheson, a Black male, was at a residence in the 2900 block of Rimpau Boulevard.  While there, he was confronted by the suspect, Derrick Johnson, who had been waiting for him to arrive.  Johnson was armed with a handgun, shot Matheson multiple times and then left the area on foot.  The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Johnson left the state, and LAPD investigating officers obtained an arrest warrant for him.   Through an exhaustive search and with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Johnson was eventually located and arrested in Rochester.

Anyone with additional information regarding any of these cases is asked to call the Criminal Gang Homicide Group at 213-485-4341.  During non-business hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7.  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call Crimestoppers at1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crimestoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) using a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”  Tipsters can also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “web tips” and follow the prompts.