Los Angeles County leaders are putting cash behind their call for justice, approving a $20,000 reward for information that helps detectives track down whoever gunned down 36-year-old youth coach Marc Sweet at a Pico Rivera gas station on Aug. 21, 2025. The case has gone quiet in recent months, and the move by Supervisor Janice Hahn is aimed at shaking loose new leads from a community that is still grieving and demanding answers.
Board signs off on $20,000 reward
During its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to offer a $20,000 reward after Hahn introduced the motion, according to CBS Los Angeles. In a county news release cited by the outlet, Hahn condemned the killing, saying, "No one should die because of a disagreement or an argument on the road," and urged anyone who knows something to step up and contact investigators.
What deputies say unfolded that night
Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies say the shooting happened around 9 p.m. on Aug. 21 in the 9400 block of Washington Boulevard near Passons Boulevard. Witnesses told investigators they heard multiple shots ring out before the suspect took off on foot, according to ABC7. Sweet was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries. Detectives have not released a description of the shooter and continue to press anyone with information to come forward.
Community mourns a coach and mentor
CBS Los Angeles identified the victim as 36-year-old Marc Sweet, described by friends and former players as a longtime youth baseball coach who mentored kids around Pico Rivera. Earlier coverage captured the shaken scene at the Shell station lot and the immediate disbelief from neighbors after the killing, as reported in Man Fatally Shot at Pico Rivera gas station, according to Hoodline.
Second gas-station killing heightens fear
Sweet's killing was followed two nights later by another deadly shooting at a different Pico Rivera gas station, where 13-year-old Saith Toledo Mendez was shot and killed. Investigators have said they do not believe the two incidents are connected, but the back-to-back attacks rattled residents and intensified concern about local violence, according to NBC Los Angeles. Families and community members have since pressed officials for updates as detectives search for witnesses and video evidence.
How to share tips with investigators
Anyone with information about the Aug. 21 shooting is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-222-8477, according to ABC7. The county reward will be paid out to qualifying tipsters whose information leads to an arrest, and detectives say dashcam or nearby surveillance footage from that night could prove critical to finally breaking the case.
