Man Is Slain in Holdup at Busy Intersection
A 22-year-old West Covina man was shot to death early Wednesday at the busiest intersection in town.
The man, Gilbert Rivas, was walking with three other people near the intersection of Azusa Avenue and Amar Road when two men and two women in a dark sports utility vehicle rolled up and demanded money and valuables.
As Rivas and his friends emptied their pockets, police said, one of the assailants shot Rivas several times.
“The victims say they were doing what they were told to do when the shooting happened,” West Covina Officer Rudy Lopez said. “Until we arrest these guys, we have people out there for whom it doesn’t take much to pull the trigger.”
Rivas died at the scene, Lopez said, but none of his friends were hurt.
The junction of Amar and Azusa is the site of several 24-hour fast-food establishments, making it a spot frequented by many, even in the middle of the night.
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