Montclair Police appear to have gotten their arms around what was the second double homicide that occurred within the 36,664-population in 2015.
Early in the morning of October 4, Montclair police were summoned to a single family residence in the 4300 block of El Morado Street by 911 calls reporting gun shots. At the home they found three men shot and another severely beaten. Emergency medical personnel also responded. One of the wounded men, Joel Arreguin, died at the scene. A second victim, Chris Sotelo, survived being transported to a hospital, but died shortly after arrival there.
Word came this week that the second of two suspects in those killings is now in custody.
On February 2, Joseph Luis Montiel, 22, was arrested in Pomona.
In December, Damond Alexander Carmona, 20, was arrested.
At his arraignment before Judge Mary Fuller on December 31, Carmona entered a plea of not guilty to murder, Penal Code Section 187, and denied the special circumstances allegation of gang affiliation also lodged against him. On January 5 before Judge Stephan Saleson, Carmona agreed to be represented by attorney Jeff Voll.
On February 5, Montiel was arraigned before Judge Fuller. He entered a plea of not guilty and denied a special circumstances gang affiliation enhancement. He is now being represented by attorney I. Mark Bledstein. Both Montiel and Carmona are being prosecuted by deputy district attorney Reza Daghbandan.
The Arreguin and Sotelo killings followed by some eight months another double homicide that occurred in Montclair, which took place on February 8, 2015 in the 11000 block of Monte Vista Avenue when Livied Arturo Sanchez, 33, of West Covina, and Mario Padilla, 34, of Pomona, both of whom had been bound with duct tape, were killed “execution-style” according to Montclair police.
The two men Montclair police say killed Sanchez and Padilla, Richard Corry Roach, 37, and David Nash McKell, 35, have been behind bars since August and April, respectively.