LOS ANGELES, CA, (LAI) – Wendy Sarai Cerritos, 20, and Rossel Jose Hernandez, 22, both residents of Los Angeles, were charged today with the murders of Jorge Ramos, 36, and TaylorRaven Whittaker, 26. The victims were found shot inside a parked Subaru sedan on July 24, 2023, in the 7000 block of Palos Verdes Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes.
In addition to the murder charges, Cerritos faces two counts of attempted second-degree robbery, while Hernandez is charged with one count. The charges also include various firearm allegations. Both defendants appeared in court on Tuesday, but their arraignment has been postponed to February 26.
These charges are part of a broader investigation linking the suspects to a series of robberies along Angeles Crest Highway. This includes the July 22, 2023, fatal shooting of 32-year-old Jesse Munoz of Los Angeles, initially believed to be part of a robbery. While no direct connection was made between Munoz’s killing and the Rancho Palos Verdes homicides, the investigation led to the arrests of multiple suspects, including Cerritos and Hernandez, for robberies in the Angeles Crest Highway area. In addition to these suspects, a third individual, Luis Ventura, 24, was charged with Munoz’s robbery and homicide, alongside Marco Antonio Hernandez, 18, and Abraham Ernesto Alvarenga Cortez, 21, whose cases are still pending.