Police Release Teenager Arrested for Attempted Double Murder

The Pasadena teenager who was arrested for alleged attempted murder of two 19-year-old women by ramming them with his car was released from custody Wednesday without charges.

Police released Carlos Rene Rico, 19, from the Pasadena Police Department jail about 7:00 a.m. because no one presented a case against him to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, D.A.’s spokeswoman Jean Guccione told the Pasadena Star-News.

Pasadena police Lt. Teresa Rojas told the newspaper that detectives needed more time to prepare a criminal case to present to prosecutors.

Police must present a case to prosecutors within two court days of arrest or the suspect must be released according to state law.

Rico was nabbed Sunday at about 2:30 a.m. on suspected attempted murder, according to the Los Angeles County booking records.

The alleged attack happened at 1:00 a.m. on Saturday near Raymond Avenue and Hammond Street, Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson told the Star-News. About 50 people were gathered outside a house party when the fight broke out, he added.

“During the fight, the suspect intentionally backed over a group of pedestrians,” Clawson told the newspaper.

The officers responded to what was first reported as a shooting incident and found two 19-year-old women who had sustained broken legs, Clawson told the Star-News. The investigators believed there were several others who were hurt by the backing Nissan Altima but have left the scene before the police arrived..

Rico abandoned his car and fled. The police did not find him Saturday, but they were able to arrest him early Sunday morning at his father’s home in Pasadena.

Though seriously hurt, the two women who were run over by the backing car were expected to survive their injuries, Clawson told the Star-News.