Joe Morales, a 22-year-old Latino, was tragically shot and killed on October 22, 2015, at the intersection of West Lexington Avenue and South Park Avenue in Pomona, California. According to the Los Angeles County coroner's records, Morales was found alone behind the wheel of a silver Nissan in the middle of the intersection. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:32 p.m.
The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m., just outside Garey High School and Lexington Elementary School, shortly before school dismissal. Fortunately, no students were involved in the shooting, but the schools were briefly locked down as a precaution.
The shooting was part of a car-to-car confrontation, which investigators believe was gang-related. Morales, a documented gang member, was involved in a shootout with occupants of a stolen black BMW. Witnesses reported that both vehicles had multiple passengers who were shooting at each other. However, when police arrived, Morales was alone in his car, and no weapons were found. The stolen BMW was discovered abandoned two blocks away, with bullet holes in the windshield and blood inside, suggesting that there were more occupants in both cars who managed to flee the scene.
Shortly after the shooting, a man with a gunshot wound in his upper body arrived at a hospital in Montclair. When informed that the police were coming to question him, the man fled the hospital and carjacked a vehicle across the street. He was later arrested at another Montclair hospital on suspicion of carjacking. Pomona investigators are looking into whether this man was involved in the Pomona shooting.
The investigation into Joe Morales' death is ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with information to contact the Pomona Police Department detective bureau. The incident highlights the dangers of gang-related violence and its impact on the community, especially when it occurs near schools and other public places.
