Hawthorne shooting: Suspect charged with killing his ex outside police station
HAWTHORNE, Calif. (KABC) -- A Hawthorne man has been charged with murder in the death of the mother of his child, who was gunned down in front of a police station.
Authorities say Jacob Ryan Munn, 30, met with his ex-girlfriend Brenda Renteria on Sunday in front of the Hawthorne police station to do a custody exchange of their young son.
He then allegedly pulled out a shotgun and killed her before fleeing the scene. He was arrested a few hours later after officers conducted a neighborhood search.
Munn has now been charged with murder and with possession of a firearm by a felon. The charges include the special circumstance of lying in wait.
He is being held with no bail.
If convicted, he faces the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Police sealed off the area and searched for more than three hours before finding the suspect in the 4400 block of 134th Street, only blocks from where he abandoned the vehicle. He was then arrested without further incident.
The front wall of the station remains riddled with holes that police say were left by the suspect's shotgun.
Police say the couple's 17-month-old son was waiting inside the station when the shooting occurred and was not injured.
Lt. Jim Royer with the Hawthorne police said it is common for people to meet at the station to perform custody exchanges.
"Every weekend we have quite a few people that come to the station that are here to perform custodies," Royer said. "The exchanges are made here because police facilities are safe havens for people to come and report whatever incidents that they may have."
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