Juan Chavez: The Los Angeles ATM Killer
Early Life
Juan Chavez was born in 1966 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Abandoned by his parents, he and his half-brother were raised by their grandmother. After experiencing abuse, they fled and eventually crossed into the United States, settling in California. Chavez worked in low-skilled jobs, married, and had two children. Despite multiple arrests for petty crimes, he continued to struggle financially.
Modus Operandi
Chavez targeted middle-aged gay men in Los Angeles between 1986 and 1989. He frequented areas known for gay socializing, allowing himself to be picked up by his victims. Once at their homes, he would bind them, force them to reveal their ATM PINs, strangle them using ligatures like exercise ropes, neckties, or electrical cords, and then steal their vehicles and valuables. Chavez claimed his motive was to stop the spread of AIDS, but prosecutors believed robbery was his primary intent.
Victims
- Alfred Rowswell, 45 – July 1986, Los Angeles, California
- Ruben Panis, 57 – September 1989, Los Angeles, California
- Donald Kleeman, 48 – September 1989, Los Angeles, California
- Michael Allen Cates, 46 – October 1989, West Hollywood, California
- Leo Hildebrand, 52 – November 1989, Alhambra, California
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