Suspect in deadly 2024 East LA freeway road rage shooting arrested in Mexico
Authorities tracked down a man who was wanted in connection with a deadly shooting on the 5 Freeway in East Los Angeles in 2024, arresting him in Mexico last week.
At the time of the shooting, police said that a dark-colored Dodge Durango was rear-ended by a gold Cadillac sedan and that the occupants of the two vehicles were involved in a confrontation near the Lorena Avenue overpass. During the incident, police learned that the two men in the Dodge exited their car and opened fire on the Cadillac, striking both passengers.
The driver of the Cadillac was able to U-turn on the freeway before crashing into other vehicles and eventually coming to a stop. The deceased victim has since been identified as 29-year-old Encarnacion Escobedo of Santa Ana. The driver, who still hasn't been publicly identified, was hospitalized in critical condition.
By the time officers arrived that day, the suspects had already fled. One of the suspects, 47-year-old Downey resident Joshua Rojas Sr., was arrested in San Bernardino nearly two weeks after the incident, but the second suspect remained at large.
In a news release, CHP officers said that they had previously determined that 21-year-old Bellflower man Christian Rojas had fled to Mexico, leading to a $4.3 million bail warrant that was issued for his arrest. Now, nearly two years later, California Highway Patrol officers say that a joint investigation with U.S. Marshals has led to another arrest.
"Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico," the CHP's release said. "The USMS worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant."
Christian Rojas was taken into custody on June 2, 2026, in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico. He was extradited to the U.S. and is expected to face a murder charge, CHP officers said.
Joshua Rojas Sr. remains in custody and is awaiting trial for a murder charge, the release said.
"This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice. For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence," said a statement from CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris." Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide."
