Suspect dies after July 4 shooting
Two suspects in custody for Jakes Way shooting; investigators believe two incidents could be connected, possibly gang-related
Medical examiners released the identity of a 24-year-old Santa Clarita man who died Thursday as the result of a deputy-involved shooting in Newhall on July 4.
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies also confirmed the arrest of a second suspect in connection to another shooting that occurred earlier that evening in Canyon Country.
A Homicide Bureau official with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department confirmed both suspects are believed to be connected to the Canyon Country shooting and that they’re members of local gangs.
The two shootings are being investigated for possible links between them, according to Lt. Art Spencer of the Homicide Bureau, who also confirmed his team was looking into both incidents in a phone interview Wednesday.
Greg Covey, 24, was shot at 11:42 p.m. Tuesday in the 24200 block of Arch Street.
His death two days later is now a part of two investigations as homicide detectives work out what happened before Covey succumbed to his injuries last week and how the pair of shootings might be related.
The initial information available from the Sheriff’s Department indicates that patrol deputies in Newhall caught up to Covey about 90 minutes after a shooting on Fahren Court, near Jakes Way and Sierra Highway.
Witnesses described the suspects leaving the scene in a silver sedan.
“Later that night, Santa Clarita deputies were patrolling the Newhall area when they saw a vehicle that appeared to match the description of the suspect vehicle from the shooting incident that occurred earlier in the night in the Canyon Country area,” Spencer said.
“When deputies made contact with the occupants of that vehicle, the front passenger of the vehicle fled the vehicle on foot. A foot pursuit of that suspect was initiated. (Covey) was momentarily lost, but then they found him again nearby, the second foot
pursuit was initiated, which led to the deputy-involved shooting.”
A gun was recovered from the scene, according to Spencer, who also confirmed that, contrary to initial reports from LASD, the shooting would not be investigated by the state’s Department of Justice, as the shooting victim was believed to be armed.
Spencer said whether the suspect fired at responding deputies and how many times the suspect was shot are facets of the incident that are still being investigated.
Spencer also said two men, Jaime Gutierrez, 33, and Angel Aguero, 19, are both in custody in connection with the Canyon Country incident, which happened around 10:17 p.m. in the 27300 block of Fahren Court.
Fire officials confirmed one patient was transported from there with a gunshot wound, but as of this story’s publication, the status of the patient was not known. The patient is believed to have survived based on the attempted-murder charges facing the suspects in the incident.
Gutierrez was arrested around 1:50 p.m. the day after the shooting and charged with one count of attempted murder in connection with the shooting on Fahren Court, according to officials and LASD custody records available online.
He faced a hearing July 7 on one charge, and is due back in court to file his plea July 20. Spencer said more charges could be forthcoming as a result of the ongoing and active investigation into the incidents.
Gutierrez was originally booked at the SCV Sheriff’s Station and held in lieu of $2 million bail. Records indicate he was transferred to Men’s Central Jail in Downtown Los Angeles where he’s now being held without bail.
The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for the criminal complaint filed against Gutierrez.
Aguero was arrested around 3 p.m. Tuesday by SCV Sheriff’s Station patrol deputies.