Two men arrested in fatal shooting of truck driver on I-10 freeway in Ontario [Updated]

Two men were arrested this morning after a truck driver was fatally shot on Interstate 10 in Ontario, police said.

The shooting at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday occurred as the truck was entering westbound Interstate 10 at Milliken Avenue, CHP Officer Jaci Parent said.

Officers found a man with a gunshot wound lying on the ground near the truck, which had crashed on the freeway embankment. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Witnesses reported seeing two men running from the vehicle, Parent said.

CHP and Ontario Police Department officers set up a perimeter to search the area, and apprehended the first suspect within 30 minutes, said Ontario police Det. Jeff Crittenden. Police found the second man about 3 a.m. hiding in bushes next to a nearby car dealership.

[Updated 4:30 p.m.: Authorities identified the victim as Rafael Ochoa, 52, of Ivanhoe in the San Joaquin Valley. The suspects, Rudolfo Rodriguez, 28, of Huntington Park, and Nolan Lopez, 36, of Bell Gardens, were both booked on suspicion of homicide, carjacking and kidnapping.]

Investigators were trying to determine whether the men were hitchhikers, carjackers or colleagues of the victim, Crittenden said.

He identified the suspects as a 28-year-old man from Huntington Park and a 36-year-old man from Bell Gardens. Investigators recovered a handgun and some personal property, which appeared to belong to the victim, he said.

Crittenden said the victim was a 52-year-old man from Ivanhoe in Tulare County.

The Milliken onramp was closed this morning while police completed their investigation, Parent said.

[Updated 4:44 p.m.: Crittenden said investigators were still trying to determine a motive in the crime. He said the victim had no prior relationship to the suspects, but it appeared the men had come into contact at a local truck stop.]

-- Alexandra Zavis

Comments

[Mike]

THIS IS SO SAD WE ALL NEED TO PRAY FOR THE VICTIM AND HIS FAMILY Rest In Peace

[Jim Q. Citizen]

The trucker probably agreed to give the killers a lift- in the spirit of the season- when they turned on him. Their plans were no doubt foiled when the trucker refused to be kidnapped and drove his rig into the embankment. Prayers to the trucker's family and may his killers spend the rest of their wicked lives in prison.

Hats off to the Ontario Police Department for their quick work arresting these two cold-blooded killers.

[Frank The Tank]

Keep handguns legal! Sarcasm doesn't really translate in writing. Well, there you go. So sorry for the family of everyone involved. What a life we live in.

[Sanchito]

The killers are from Mexico. They hijack trucks all the time. The cargo ends up in Mexico. The driver didnt cooperate and paid with his life.

[Doug Mattson]

Yes Hats off to the officers arresting the shooters and my prayers go out to the victims family.

[Doug]

Let's see, these guys were in Ontario, so blame that on south L.A. too.

[Malby]

"The killers are from Mexico. They hijack trucks all the time. The cargo ends up in Mexico."

If this is true, why doesn't the Times cover these facts? At the very least, it would help to warn the trucking community.

[Jrock]

To Frank-Im sure these fine upstanding citizens would have never dreamed of using a gun in their robbery/murder scheme had they been illegal...

[F. Abatiell]

Congradulations & Kudo's to the CHP & Ontario Police Dept for the quick response & apprehension of those two thugs.
Expected never to be solved.....these police efforts are truely to be commended....OUTSTANDING & thank you from a Ca. resident.
F. Abatiell

[Janet]

omg, right away blame Mexicans, ha ha idi0ts
may the truck driver rest in peace and his family find the strength to move on with there loss. and may the delinquents pay with life in prison..

[kiki]

First and foremost my prayers to the victims family. Those cowards will use a gun to attempt to apprehend any hardworking victim, but I hope our justice system will punish them for this cowardly act.

Ontario Police and CHP Department well done with the capture of these fools.

If indeed the victim picked up hitch hikers let this be a lesson to all of us.

[Sung Kun Cho]

Yup,blame it on the Mexicans.

[Alberto Ulloa]

Sanchito... How do you know they're from Mexico? Because they have Latino names? Or do you actually know them (and their exact plans)?

If so, don't waste your time commenting on the LA Times, get in touch with the police and tell them everything you know.

[brenda]

i totally agree with your comment Alberto Ulloa, i cant believe SANCHITO can comment like that, is really insane how you can just judge people,with out even know the facts about who really they are....

so in this case Sanchito is also from Mexico and his a accomplice to this crime correct???

may god bless you don judge no one...

[RabidinL.A.]

Firstly, a big Congratulations on such fine work and Thank you to the Ontario Police Department!
How tragic. I agree with Sanchito, he's right on the money. Investigators must be aware of this disgustingly frequent and criminal activity. And we want to give amnesty to 12 million of these? All the ones from the last wave of amnesty are nothing but gang members and thieves. Lemme outta here!

[Gerald]

Hitcherhiker possibility feasible along with intent to hi-jack truck. Many hitchhikers at those two truckstops at Milliken/I-10 in Ontario, particularly T/A West. Truck stripping in Mexico very profitable, more important is to find the truck's cargo manifest, sometimes the load is more expensive than the truck itself.

[SUANNE]

ON SANCHITOS COMMENT..HES WRONG! THEY ARE NOT FROM MEXICO..I DON'T KNOW ALL THE STORY YET BUT KNOW THEY ARE NOT BOTH MEXICAN..AND I KNOW THAT FOR A FACT!!NOT SAYING THEY DIDNT DO IT BECAUSE ALL THE FACTS ARE NOT ALL IN..BUT AN ACCIDENT OR NOT..WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO BE IGNORANT AND RIGHT OFF THE BAT BE RACES! OTHER COMMENTS ARE FINE,CONDOLENCES,FAMILY PRAYERS AND ALL.BUT DONT STOOP TO OTHER LEVELS THAT MAKE YOU LOOK IGNORANT.."SANCHITO..MALBY..JANET..AND DEFINITLY.....SUNG KUN CHO!!"

[Micko]

Hats off to the Cops & CHP. California please secure you border as we know Mexicans when they come up to the Northwest with phony green cards & social security numbers. Other nations need to go through immigration and Mexicans are no better than people from other coutries who want to immigrant to the USA. Maybe you Californians need a special course in race identification, honest customs personel & border patrol. California needs to be sued from they are doing to the rest of the states with poor unacceptable border security.

[Rob]

Two more reasons to bring back the death penalty!!!