A $20,000 reward has been announced by Los Angeles County officials for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who fatally shot a Navy veteran last month in Whittier. According to KTLA, the incident involved 27-year-old Benjamin Ryan Castaneda and took place on the 8100 block of Broadway Avenue in West Whittier-Los Nietos.
The details of the event, which occured on June 2, report that Castaneda was driving his vehicle around 11:20 p.m. when a gold or brown four-door sedan pulled alongside him; after which, an altercation ensued, and a suspect inside the sedan fired a gunshot that hit Castaneda, as noted by NBC Los Angeles. Castaneda was later taken to a hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Investigators have acquired surveillance footage depicting the suspect's vehicle in an area that was highly transited at the time, potentially providing visibility to numerous bystanders.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, alongside representatives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, held a press conference to announce the reward, which was unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors on July 8, as stated by CBS News Los Angeles. Supervisor Hahn emphasized the personal tragedy of the event, mentioning that Castaneda was "a real human being" who was "a son, a grandson, a friend, and the light of his grandmother’s life."
An emotional plea came from Castaneda's mother, Annelle, who urged the public "to please come forward and don't let my son be a statistic, he's more than that," she told NBC Los Angeles. Castaneda, who served in the U.S. Navy before returning to civilian life, was known to be a devoted brother and supportive family member, frequently engaging in activities like taking his family to the movies and playing basketball with friends.
Authorities are asking anyone with related information to step forward, and they can contact Detective Gail Durham or Sergeant Frank Alvarado of the LASD Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 for anonymous reports.
