LOS ANGELES, CA – A 49-year-old man has been charged with three felony counts of attempted carjacking after allegedly targeting women in separate attacks across Lincoln Heights and Boyle Heights earlier this month, officials announced Monday.
Maurice Latorre is accused of attempting to forcibly take vehicles from three women on Nov. 9. Surveillance footage captured portions of the incidents, showing Latorre violently confronting the victims, who managed to escape. In two of the cases, children were present in the vehicles.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the first two women managed to fend off Latorre from inside their cars. The third victim was pulled from her vehicle and thrown to the ground before a passerby intervened, stopping the attack.
Two of the women suffered minor injuries during the incidents but are expected to recover, officials said.
Authorities initially issued a public safety warning after identifying Latorre as a suspect, describing him as armed and dangerous. He was arrested days later after checking himself into L.A. General Medical Center, where hospital staff recognized him and alerted police.
Police have disclosed that Latorre suffers from mental illness, though the extent of his condition has not been detailed.
Latorre is being held on $375,000 bail and faces up to 12 years and 4 months in state prison if convicted on all charges, the District Attorney’s Office said.
“We condemn these violent acts targeting individuals simply going about their daily lives and remain committed to removing dangerous offenders from our streets,” said District Attorney George Gascón. “I want to express my deepest sympathy to the victims of these terrifying crimes.”
The case remains under investigation as officials continue to evaluate the circumstances surrounding the attacks.
