Robbery Spree Ends with Suspects in Custody NR09391kr

Los Angeles:  Four suspects believed involved in a string of armed robberies were stopped by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detectives within minutes after committing a robbery in the 5500 block of South Central Avenue.  One of the suspects armed himself with a gun, and an officer involved shooting (OIS) occurred.  One suspect was killed and the three others were taken into custody; two with injuries, one critical.

 On August 6, 2009, at around 2:30 p.m., Detective Donald Walthers, a 19-year, 6-month veteran of the LAPD, and his partner, Detective Jeff Nolte, a 20-year, 9-month veteran of the LAPD, were working a detail to investigate a robbery crew who had robbed several cell phone stores in the LAPD’s 77th Street and Southwest Areas.   

Detectives Walther and Nolte, assigned to the LAPD Special Investigation Section (SIS), Robbery Homicide Division (RHD), were conducting a surveillance operation with the surveillance team at the cell phone store in the 5500 block of South Central Avenue.  Other members of the surveillance team notified them that the cell phone store they were watching had just been robbed.

As the suspects drove away, Walthers and Nolte began following the suspects’ car, a four-door, gold 2005 Pontiac Grand AM.  The driver of the suspects’ vehicle pulled to the curb in the 900 block of East 49th Street, and the SIS surveillance team used a standard maneuver to block the suspects’ escape and take them into custody.  The detectives also used their vehicles for cover and identified themselves as police officers, ordering the suspects to surrender.

One suspect, identified as Marquis Walker, a male Black, 18 years old, seated in the right rear seat behind the front passenger seat, pointed a handgun in the detectives’ direction and an OIS occurred in which both detectives fired at the suspects.

The suspect driver, Quantesa Wiley, a female Black, 19 years of age, was shot and critically wounded.  The front seat passenger suspect, Jessie Long, a male Black, 18 years old, was shot and killed.  On the left passenger side of the back seat, suspect Samuel Taylor, an 18-year-old male Black, was shot and wounded.  Walker was not injured.

Long, Taylor and Wiley were transported to local hospitals for treatment.   Long was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.  Wiley was listed in critical condition; Taylor was listed in stable condition.  All three were booked for robbery/homicide and are being held on $1 million bail.

The LAPD Force Investigation Division is investigating the crime as an assault with a deadly weapon against the detectives, as well as the OIS.  LAPD RHD is handling the robbery investigation.