IN SANTA MONICA Three homicides occurred this year in Santa Monica. The first homicide was classified by the Los Angeles Police Department as “justifiable.” LA officers shot a Malibu man on Pico Boulevard near Santa Monica High School in February. The victim, who apparently robbed a gas station, led officers on a high-speed chase throughout the LA area for close to an hour before ending up in Santa Monica.
Nicholas Hans Killinger, 23, was shot on Pico Boulevard near Sixth Street after Killinger allegedly rammed his vehicle into a Los Angeles Police car. The pursuit began after Killinger robbed a gas station in Augora Hills at knifepoint, police said. Killinger reached speeds of up to 80 miles per hour as he led police throughout the city, including driving on the wrong side of the 101 Freeway, all of which was aired live by news helicopters.
Killinger drove down the Third Street Promenade shortly before he was cornered in front of Samohi. He threw his white Ford Tempo into reverse, smashing the front end of an LAPD squad car, police said. That’s when three police officers fired at least 12 shots into Killinger’s vehicle. Killinger tried to flee on foot, but was shot. He was taken to Santa Monica- UCLA Medical Center and pronounced dead a short time later.
The second homicide of the year occurred in March in an Ocean Park Santa Monica-subsidized apartment complex, operated by the Community Corp. of Santa Monica.
Gabriel Edward Becerrada, 38, was shot multiple times in front of a low-income housing project at 815 Ashland Ave. shortly before 1:20 a.m. on March 7.
Sandra Alfaro, 34, her 17-year-old son and his friend, Luke Yeron, 19, were arrested for murder by Santa Monica Police after an extensive investigation. Becerrada, who had been recently released from state prison and was on parole, was found dead in front an apartment door after police officers received a call from a resident who heard a woman screaming and shots fired.
Becerrada was a four-time felon that had been out of prison for four months when he was killed. He had spent nearly 11 years behind bars. In 1986, Becerrada, then 20, was sentenced to five years in prison for attempted robbery. He served two years and was released on probation. Then, in 1992, Becerrada served seven months for second-degree burglary. Three months after being released, he was arrested for possessing a firearm and spent a year in prison. Most recently, Becerrada served seven years for drug possession.
The accused killers are expected to go on trial this year.
The third and final homicide of the year involved a 35-year-old homeless man who was found on June 30 in front of the parking garage entrance of the YMCA on Sixth Street.
The man was dead when officers arrived, and detectives noted that the man was an apparent victim of an assault.
The case remains unsolved.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 1, 2005. Read the original PDF.