Outlaw club members arrested in So Cal on murder charges
On Friday police arrested Rudy Ruiz, aka "Chapo", 30, of Whittier, at his apartment. They also looked for a gun and other evidence. Police did not say if they found a gun at the site.
The other suspect, John Perez, aka "Diablo", 43, of Pico Rivera, was already in custody on an unrelated case.
It's the second time the two had been arrested for the shooting. Police on July 24 arrested Ruiz, Perez and Christopher Johnson, 18, of Montebello on suspicion of the killings, but released them after the District Attorney's office requested more investigation.
During the shooting, two armed men opened fire on an estimated 50 people attending a dinner fundraiser at Falcone's Pizza t 9247 Slauson Ave.
The fundraiser was for the Oldschool Riders, a local motorcycle group with no gang ties.
On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Ruiz and Perez with the murders of Carlos Carrera, 39, of La Habra, Garret Dandini, 25, of Whittier and Tony Dandini, 39, of Whittier and of conspiracy to commit murder.
They are also accused of trying to kill Maria Corona , Eileen Rios, Raul Zamora, Daniel Valenzuela, Teresa Torres, Ricardo Hernandez and Brian Ramirez, according to the criminal complaint.
They did not arrest Johnson.
Prosecutors also allege that Ruiz and Perez personally used a gun to commit the crimes, intentionally fired the weapons and committed the shooting for the benefit of and at the direction of a street gang.
Ruiz was being held without bail at the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station and will be arraigned Tuesday in a Los Angeles court, said sheriff's Lt. Andrew Berg.
Perez was scheduled to be arraigned Friday at a Los Angeles Superior Court but will be arraigned at a later date, said Homicide Detective Phil Guzman.
Police got a break in the case just three days after the shooting.
After a car chase, Perez was arrested and a gun was recovered from the vehicle, Guzman said.
"That gun matches one of the guns used in the shooting," Guzman said.
Even after they arrested and released the pair in July, detectives kept working on the case.
"This is one of the most single violent (incidents) to have occurred in the city of Pico Rivera," said Pico Rivera Station Capt. Mike Rothans.
"Three people dead, seven injured and the potential for more people to be injured. There was such a potential for more victims," he said.
Rothans gave credit to the detectives on the case and said he was happy the suspects were charged a week before he left the station. He was recently promoted to commander.
Guzman said they continued working the case and gathering evidence after prosecutors didn't file charges in July. He said now the DA's Office felt comfortable they got enough evidence to charge Perez and Ruiz.
He has theories about the motive for the shooting but declined to discuss them.
The slain men and the local motorcycle group don't have gang ties, according to authorities.
Detectives said while one man wounded claimed to be a former member of the Mongols, a criminal motorcycle gang, it didn't appear the shooters targeted anyone in particular.
About four years ago, the Mongols had a disagreement over drug sales with the Mexican Mafia, or La Eme, a prison-based gang that controls Latino street gangs in Southern California. The Mexican Mafia put a "green light" on Mongols members, or a go-ahead for gang members to kill them on-sight.
But gang detectives said that dispute seems to be over.
A manager at Falcone's Pizza on Friday declined to comment about the arrest and about charges being filed in the case.
Source: Outlaw club members arrested in So Cal on murder charges
