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A wanted suspect was described as a Black male adult, approximately 5- feet-10-inches tall weighing around 160 pounds.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — A manhunt continued Tuesday for the assailant
believed to have carried out a series of robberies and shootings at 7-
Eleven stores that occurred in three Southland counties — including
Riverside and San Bernardino counties — leaving at least two people dead.

The rash of violence — carried out on July 11, or 7-11 — prompted the 7-
Eleven corporation to recommend that Los Angeles-area stores temporarily
close their doors.

"Right now, our focus is on franchisee, associate and customer safety," according to a company statement. "With that in mind, we encouraged stores
in the Los Angeles area to close overnight."

Brea police said they responded at 4:17 a.m. Monday to the 7-Eleven store
at Lambert Road and North Brea Boulevard and found a male store clerk
fatally shot in what officers determined to be a robbery.

The clerk was later identified as 40-year-old Matthew Hirsch, who died at
the scene, police said.

According to Brea police, that shooting is believed to be related to
another shooting that occurred a short time later in La Habra.

According to La Habra police Sgt. Eric Roy, officers responded at 4:55
a.m. Monday to a robbery at the 7-Eleven store at 381 E. Whittier Blvd.
When officers arrived, they found two gunshot victims who were taken to a hospital by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics, he said.

Both of the victims in the La Habra shooting were expected to survive, Roy said. Police said the victims were a clerk and a customer.

At a late-morning news conference Monday, Brea Police Department Capt.
Phil Rodriguez said, "Based on some preliminary evidence we do believe it
is possibly the same suspect."

Rodriguez said investigators were looking into possible connections to 7- Eleven shootings Monday morning in Santa Ana and Riverside.

"We are aware of other incidents that have occurred in the southland at 7- Elevens," Rodriguez said. "We obviously at this point can't confirm
whether they are connected, but we assure you our detectives are looking
into that."

Santa Ana police said 24-year-old Matthew Rule of Santa Ana was fatally
shot at 3:25 a.m. Monday outside the 7-Eleven store in the 300 block of
East 17th Street. Police found Rule in the parking lot with a gunshot
wound to the upper body, Santa Ana Police Department Sgt. Maria Lopez
said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect apparently never entered the store in Santa Ana and it appears
he robbed Rule, Lopez said. It wasn't clear if Rule was a customer of the
store or why he was there, Lopez said.

Based on surveillance photos of the suspect in the Brea and La Habra
shootings, Santa Ana police said they believe it was the same suspect in
Santa Ana, Lopez said.

In Riverside, a customer was shot about 1:50 a.m. Monday in what police described as an apparent robbery at the 7-Eleven store at 5102 La Sierra
Ave., according to Riverside Police Department Officer Ryan Railsback.
Police said the victim in that shooting was in grave condition.

"The suspect entered the store, brandished a firearm and robbed the clerk,
then shot a customer before fleeing the store on foot," Railsback said.

Riverside police Tuesday confirmed that the same suspect believed to have carried out the series of robberies and shootings at the Southland 7-
Eleven stores also appears to have been involved in the Riverside
incident.

"We will not be releasing any suspect images in our investigation but our detectives are working closely with the other law enforcement agencies investigating these crimes," Railsback said in a statement.

The first stickup may have occurred in Ontario. Police said just after
midnight Monday, the 7-Eleven at 636 N. Vine Ave. was robbed. The suspect
held up the store with a handgun, but no shots were fired and no one was injured, police said.

In a news release from the Ontario Police Department, the suspect was
described as a Black male adult, approximately 5-feet-10-inches tall
weighing around 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing dark clothing and a
dark mask. The description corresponds with surveillance images released
by the Brea Police Department (see above).

In Upland, the 7-Eleven store at 2410 W. Arrow Route was robbed at 12:40
a.m. Monday, police said. Investigators in Upland were huddling with other agencies to see if there was a connection.

The 7-Eleven company issued an initial statement Monday, saying, "Our
hearts are with the victims and their loved ones. We are gathering
information on this terrible tragedy and working with local law
enforcement."

The Brea location where Hirsch was fatally shot was one of several stores
that opted to close Monday evening and early Tuesday morning. Yellow
police tape was strung along the parking lot in the early morning hours
and a makeshift memorial next to the parking has been created for Hirsch.

Anyone with information was asked to call Brea Police Department Detective Alfred Rodriguez at 714-671-4438 or alfredr@cityofbrea.net.

https://patch.com/california/banning-beaumont/manhunt-underway-7-eleven- shooter-riverside-oc-sb-counties

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