Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved on Tuesday (October 20) a $100,000 reward for two witnesses whose tips led to the arrest and conviction of a suspect involved in a shooting ambush of police officers.
According to reports from the city’s news agency, on September 12, 2020, Deonte Lee Murray ambushed two officers sitting in a patrol car at the Compton Transit Center. He opened fire, causing serious injuries to officers Claudia Apolinar and Emmanuel Perez-Perez.
The 42-year-old Murray was convicted of multiple serious crimes in 2023, including two counts of attempted murder of law enforcement officers.
Prosecutors revealed that on September 10, 2020, two days before the officers were ambushed, the same officers fatally shot Murray’s best friend, Sam Herrera, while executing a search warrant in Compton. Prosecutors claimed that Murray became “irrational” and sought to “seek revenge”.
Surveillance footage showed the gunman approaching the passenger side of the patrol car, firing shots, and quickly fleeing the scene. Apolinar then went to aid her partner. Both officers were covered in blood, and they hurriedly made their way to another patrol car waiting nearby, which rushed them to the hospital.
Apolinar disclosed that a bullet struck her chin, nearly breaking her tongue, and both her arms were hit, resulting in fractures. She mentioned that she still bears scars from the gunshot wounds on her arms and face.
At the time of the incident, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.
A report to be reviewed by the Board on Tuesday disclosed that following the reward announcement in 2020, “two witnesses came forward and provided critical information that ultimately led to the suspect’s capture and conviction”.
Both witnesses have filed for the reward. After reviewing the applications, a panel of government officials decided that one individual would receive 90% of the reward, while the other would receive 10%, “to reflect the varying impact of their testimonies on the case”.
The authorities did not disclose the names of the reward applicants or the specific information each of them provided to investigators.
In 2023, Murray was sentenced to 166 years and 8 months to life in prison. Earlier this year, the appellate court overturned his convictions for two lesser charges. Subsequently, Murray was resentenced to 164 years to life in prison.