Reward now at $100,000

Authorities fear suspect may have fled into Mexico

Fernando Quintero, Charlie Brennan and Brian D. Crecente, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 13, 2005 at midnight

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LOS ANGELES - The reward for suspected cop killer Raul Garcia-Gomez jumped to $100,000 Thursday as the national manhunt focused on the Los Angeles area and police began to fear that their suspect might already have slipped into Mexico.

"I've got a message for Raul Garcia-Gomez and your friends," said Denver police Division Chief Dave Fisher, who is leading the investigation in California. "You can run, but you can't hide. We are going to find you, we have a committed task force including the FBI, the U.S. Marshal's Office and the immigration office."

Fisher told a Los Angeles press conference that Denver Police Detective Donald Young's slaying "is probably the most horrific assault on a police officer that I've ever experienced."

Six Denver detectives, along with two chief trial deputies from the office of District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, are now in Los Angeles, working in cooperation with more than 200 investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.

Police Chief Gerry Whitman said a search warrant, executed at 1 a.m. Thursday at a Los Angeles residence where the white Dodge Neon that Garcia-Gomez had been driving was found parked, has provided investigators with numerous leads to other addresses and individuals in the Los Angeles area.

"I think we'll end up doing more search warrants (in Los Angeles.) This is rolling pretty hard," said Whitman.

"We have considerable information and we are going to several locations" in the Los Angeles area.

Fliers in English and Spanish are being widely distributed in the areas of Los Angeles where it is believed Garcia-Gomez could be.

The address where the suspect's car was found was not disclosed, and the affidavit for the search warrant used at that address is under seal. The car was found in an unincorporated part of Los Angeles several hours before the search warrant was executed.

Whitman also did not reveal what other addresses in the city or county of Los Angeles were being investigated Thursday. And, police may be looking in the wrong city.

"They developed information that the suspect may have fled to Mexico," said Whitman. "But that has not been confirmed yet. I think he's still here" in the United States.

He acknowledged that, should Garcia-Gomez be in Mexico, extradition for a potential death penalty case could be difficult, since Mexico does not have a death penalty.

"But we will do whatever we have to do, through the federal government, to get him back here," said Whitman.

The Denver chief said that Los Angeles-based FBI agents assigned to the Safe Streets Task Force - a nationwide initiative launched in 1999 through which federal authorities assist local police in combatting gang crime - are heavily involved in the search for Garcia-Gomez.

"I'm just overwhelmed with the help that we're getting" from authorities in Los Angeles, Whitman said.

But he did express frustration that police are having to work hard at eliciting information from some of the estimated 90 people - most of them Spanish-speaking - who were present at Salon Ocampo when Young and Detective John Bishop were shot early Sunday.

"I think there's more witnesses out there" who are not voluntarily coming forward, Whitman said.

"I don't get it. I would assume somebody knew he did this, and the fact that he is confident enough in those relationships to hang out for a day and go back to work, I'm kind of disturbed by that."

Acting Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said an interagency investigation includes the FBI, U.S. marshals and immigration officials.

"We have reason to believe the suspect is still in the Los Angeles area," said McDonnell.

Garcia-Gomez, 19, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, who had been employed as a dishwasher at Denver's Cherry Cricket restaurant.

Sandra Rivas, Garcia-Gomez's girlfriend and the mother of his 3-week-old daughter, said he told her Sunday morning that he shot the two officers after they barred him from re-entering a baptismal party at Salon Ocampo.

She told the Rocky Mountain News on Tuesday that he asked for forgiveness from Rivas, who begged him to turn himself in.

Instead, he worked his complete shift Sunday at the Cherry Cricket, then vanished.

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