Pretrial Hearing Set for Suspect in Fatal Shooting of Pasadena Teen

A pretrial hearing is scheduled Monday for Alexis Ibarra, charged in the 2022 fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Pasadena.

The hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. in Department F of Pasadena Courthouse, located at 300 E. Walnut St.

Ibarra, 24, has remained in custody on $4 million bail since his January 2022 arrest. He faces one count of murder in the death of Damian Issak Montoya and one count of attempted murder involving a 20-year-old man from West Covina who was driving the vehicle.

Authorities say the shooting occurred Jan. 18, 2022, at the intersection of Los Robles Avenue and Eldora Road in the 1600 block of North Los Robles Avenue, three blocks north of Washington Boulevard. Montoya was shot in the head while sitting in the front passenger seat of a white Toyota. The driver was also shot during the incident.

Pasadena Fire Department paramedics, who were in the area on an unrelated call, were flagged down by the vehicle’s driver seeking help for the wounded teen. Montoya was transported to a hospital, where he died two days later from his injuries.

Police arrested Ibarra the following day in the 600 block of Mar Vista Avenue. Officers allegedly recovered a firearm and other evidence which reportedly linked him to the shooting.

The criminal complaint filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office includes specific allegations that Ibarra personally used a handgun during the crime. Police have been investigating the shooting as potentially gang-related, with detectives actively exploring the possibility of gang involvement.

Investigators noted the white Toyota matched the description of a suspect vehicle in a separate robbery and shooting near Villa Park two days earlier. This connection, along with evidence allegedly collected at the scene, helped police quickly identify and locate both the suspect vehicle and Ibarra. Authorities were examining potential connections between these incidents.

The driver of the Toyota is considered a key source of information for investigators, although police have not disclosed if there were any independent eyewitnesses to the shooting.

Ibarra pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment.

Police have urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Pasadena Police Department. Anonymous tips are also being solicited through Crime Stoppers, underscoring the importance of community cooperation in the ongoing investigation.