In Pasadena, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

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Police say that Joe Malta was killed before his girlfriend was able to deliver the news that she had given birth to his son.

On October 27, 2006 at approximately 11:30 p.m., police say that a woman solely identified as Heidi was on her way home from her parents' home.

Heidi had spent the evening planning an upcoming charity event when a sudden dramatic twist-of-fate occurred. Cops tell AMW that Heidi recalled seeing an approaching green Honda Accord that was driving haphazardly while colliding into a curb, a mailbox, cars, and a street light.

Selflessly, Heidi got out of her vehicle to try and help the Honda's driver, who appeared to be hurt.

As the disoriented driver climbed out of the window, Heidi got out of her car and yelled, "Are you okay?" 

He stumbled towards her, then suddenly shoved her out of the way and dove into her vehicle.

In a panic, Heidi now feared for the life of an important front seat passenger: her new Australian Shepherd, "Audrey". 

She fought back, pulling the carjacker out of her red Mustang. He punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground, and the crazed man jumped back into the driver's seat.

Determined to protect her 12-week-old puppy, Heidi reached in and held onto the car's steering wheel, hanging out of the car as the man hit the accelerator.

As the car reached speeds of 60 miles per hour, Heidi held on for dear life as her foot was dragged on the street. The driver's door kept slamming shut against Heidi as the car swerved from curb to curb.

Determined to save herself and her dog, Heidi held fast, despite the driver's attempts to dislodge her.

Finally, the car hit a wall, and Heidi fell away from the car, into a gutter adjacent to the freeway on-ramp, and into oncoming traffic.

"Please don't kill my dog," she yelled, as the carjacker took off in her now wrecked car.

Police say that a Good Samaritan stopped to help Heidi, and brought her back to her parents' home.

When the authorities arrived, Heidi received medical attention and was transported to a nearby hospital. 

Cops returned to the location where the carjacking had taken place, and they were shocked when they found much more than an abandoned Honda.

Carjacking Investigation Befome Double Murder Case Two Bodies Found

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Cops say that Francisco Regalado was hanging out at Penaloza's Los Angeles home before he was murdered.

Pasadena detectives say the carjacker's Honda Accord contained two bodies of men who, had been shot execution-style.

They say that the lifeless body of the first victim, Joe Malta, was wedged in between the front passenger seat and the dashboard.

Investigators say the second victim, Francisco Regalado, was located in the rear passenger seat and was barely alive.

Regalado was transported to the hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Pasadena police opened up a double murder investigation based on the chain of events that asked the question, "Was the carjacker the killer too?"

After the victims had been identified, police noticed that Malta's cell phone kept buzzing with text messages, being sent from a girlfriend, that read, "Come and see your son".

Sadly, Malta never heard the news that the mother of his child was going into labor.

Police responded to the girlfriend's messages, and asked her where he had been earlier that evening.

She told the cops that Malta and Regalado had been out with friends at the home of 20-year-old Manuel Penaloza.

Police say that Penaloza, known as "Lil Bad Boy" in the East Los Angeles "Drifters" gang, is a street soldier for this extremely violent group.

They also noted Penaloza's extensive arrest and conviction record, and they say that at the time of the incident, he was on parole for receiving stolen property.

Penaloza also has an outstanding no-bail warrant for a weapons violation.

When cops searched Penaloza's home, they detected that he had attempted to sanitize the home with cleaning products, and had turned on a ceiling fan at high speed, perhaps in an attempt to cover his tracks.

Authorities were still able to find DNA samples matching that of the victims.

Cops: Grieving Father-To-Be Turns To Drugs, Violence

Back in 2005, police say that Manuel had been walking with his pregnant girlfriend in a rival gang's neighborhood when his girlfriend and unborn child were shot and killed.

Friends tell AMW that after that incident, his methamphetamine use increased, and Penaloza became paranoid, had hallucinations, and believed that people were watching him.  They say that he sometimes felt that if he did not kill someone, then he, too, would be killed.

The INS officials recently deported Penaloza's mother, who police believe had been providing him with money and resources while withholding information of his whereabouts.

In May 2007, Heidi received a Good Samaritan award from the Mayor of Pasadena.

On August 6, 2009, Manuel Penaloza was arrested in Guerrero, Mexico.

End Of The Line For Murder Suspect Penaloza

Murder suspect, Manuel Penaloza, was captured in Guerrero, Mexico on August 6, 2009.
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With charges of murder and carjacking waiting for him back in L.A., Manuel Penaloza was one of the most-wanted men on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

After a nearly three-year manhunt for this self-proclaimed "Lil Bad Boy," authorities in Mexico arrested Penaloza near his grandfather's home in Guerrero.

The arrest was culmination of efforts between local and federal Mexican agencies, the Pasadena, Calif. Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Penaloza had secured a place at the top of John Walsh's Ten Most Wanted in 2007.

Penaloza was arrested without incident at around 9 a.m. on August 6, 2009, and was transported to Mexico City.