The investigations into two teenagers’ shooting deaths got a new lease on life after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office offered rewards for cold cases across the state.
The governor’s office announced the $50,000 rewards will be shared with law enforcement agencies including those in LA and Orange County to help solve over two dozen cold cases.
One of the teens was 3-year-old Iran Moreno. He killed on Nov. 20, 2021 in Pasadena when a stray bullet went through the walls and struck him. When he was shot, the boy was playing video games in his bedroom at his home on North Raymond Avenue.
The Pasadena Police Department had said investigators were looking for a gray Ford Fusion that spotted in a parking lot across the street from the boy’s home. The front passenger of the vehicle exited and fired two gunshots in an easternly direction, police said.
A $85,000 reward was offered to catch the shooter, but the case went cold.
Another LA County cold case that’s receiving more funding is the shooting death of 16-year-old Tioni Theus. Her body was found along the 110 Freeway near Manchester Avenue in South LA in January 2022. She was last seen Jan. 7 , 2022 after telling a family member she was going to meet a friend and go to a party, officials said.
The state, LA County, LA city governments each offered reward to catch the girl’s killer, but the efforts were not successful.
“Every family deserves answers and justice,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “These rewards send a message that every case matters, every victim matters, and that we are all working toward increased accountability. If you know something, it is your duty to come forward.”
Two cold cases in Orange County were also receiving financial support: the stabbing death of Alan Schwalbe, 61, from 1993 near Costa Mesa and the fatal drive-by shooting of a 18-year-old woman in Santa Ana.