Full Notification

On 10/12/06 at about 4:00 p.m., a vehicle with 3 male occupants was merging onto Highway 54 East from the Northbound Interstate 5 Freeway. A second vehicle with four male occupants tried to provoke the first vehicle to race. Hand gestures and words were exchanged between occupants of both vehicles. As they approached the Fourth Avenue/Highland off-ramp, one occupant of the second vehicle brandished a handgun and shot numerous rounds into the first vehicle, striking and killing 17 year-old passenger Jose Roman.

The Chula Vista Police Department Crimes of Violence Unit conducted the investigation, and on 11/5/09 detectives contacted four suspects. Three suspects were booked into jail for murder, and the fourth, who is currently serving time in Donovan State Prison on an unrelated case, will be booked at a later time.

The suspects are identified as:

William Mace, 25 years old, from Bonita
Armando Pelayo, 22 years old, from San Diego
John Smith, 24 years old, from Imperial Beach
Miguel Pelayo, 27 years old, from San Diego.

The investigation into this matter is ongoing. Anyone with information relating to this case is encouraged to call Sergeant Kenny Heinz of the Chula Vista Police Department at 619-691-5202.