On April 16, Temple Station Deputies responded to the 6700 block Temple City Blvd, in unincorporated Arcadia regarding a reported carjacking. An elderly woman told deputies she was sitting in her vehicle when she was approached by a man who pointed a handgun at her, demanding she exit the vehicle and surrender her car keys. The woman feared for her safety and complied with the request. The vehicle, a 2017 Honda, was equipped with a GPS tracking device. Deputies quickly activated the tracker utilizing the victim’s cell phone app and learned the location of the vehicle. The deputies requested assistance from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Aero Bureau. After several minutes, they spotted the suspect and vehicle at the West Covina Mall at 1111 Plaza Drive, West Covina. West Covina Police Officers were summoned to the location where the suspect was detained pending the arrival of Temple Station Deputies.
Deputies recovered the vehicle and located a loaded .40 cal. handgun believed to be the one used in the carjacking. The suspect was arrested and identified as 21-year-old, Alberto Martinez-Jara from West Covina. He is being held at the Temple Station Jail with a $100,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear in Alhambra Superior Court on April 18.
