One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
How a Pink Bicycle Might Connect Gang Member to Murder of Toddler and His Uncle
A pink beach cruiser bicycle similar to the one in question in the case (Photo by Mark Bonham via Shutterstock)
22-month-old Joshua Montes was in his uncle's arms when the two were fatally struck by gunfire in South Los Angeles on May 23, 2011. Neither the boy or the man, Josefat Conchola, were the intended targets of what investigators determined was a drive-by shooting gone awry. Now a pink bicycle may prove to be what links the suspect to the crime.
19-year-old Davion McClelland is facing two counts of capital murder, according to City News Service. McClelland is accused of riding a distinctive pink beach cruiser-style bike while committing the deadly shooting, and witness testimony given at a preliminary hearing to determine if the suspect should stand trial, places McClelland on the bike and at the scene.
Michael Smith, one of the intended targets of the shooting, testified "he and a friend were walking on Hooper Avenue near 55th Street when two young black men riding bikes and wearing hooded sweatshirts passed them, going the other direction." Smith identified one of the bicycles as the pink beach cruiser in question, adding that he heard one of the bike riders issue a gang "call" and then shots were fired in their direction.
Two other witnesses also place McClelland at the scene and on a pink beach cruiser. Video surveillance footage corroborates witnesses' accounts, including testimony from McClelland's aunt, who saw her nephew on such a bicycle.
Smith was not able to say that McClelland was doing the shooting, but did admit during questioning in court that he feared for his family's safety and did not want to return to the neighborhood a "snitch."
McClelland and Smith belong to rival neighborhood gangs that have been at odds since the 1980s, according to a Los Angeles Police Department gang expert.
As a result of the hearing, McClelland was ordered to stand trial for the shootings. Prosecutors have not yet determined if they will seek the death penalty.
Sponsored message
Previously
Council OKs $75k Reward in Toddler Shooting Death, Perry Pleads for Perps to Turn Themselves In
Toddler Killed By Gunfire in 'wrong place, at the wrong time'
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
