Owen Wolf was a 29-year-old production assistant on the CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation who was killed by a stray bullet on August 13, 2000, during an attempted armored car robbery outside a Costco in Van Nuys, California. The show dedicated an early first-season episode to his memory, and both men responsible for the shooting are now serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.1Los Angeles Times. Chavez Brothers Serving Life Sentences
Who Owen Wolf Was
Wolf was a Philadelphia native who studied literature and drama at Bennington College in Vermont and lived in Berkeley before moving to Los Angeles to work in film and television. He hoped to become a screenwriter, director, or producer, and at the time of his death he was drafting a romantic comedy set around a wedding.2Los Angeles Times. Friends Remember Owen Wolf
Before joining CSI, he had worked as a production assistant on Felicity, handling traffic control and craft services on set. A friend and co-worker, Gregg Pallini, said Wolf “wasn’t necessarily thrilled with his position, but he knew it was a stepping stone, and he did his work more often with a smile on his face.”3Deseret News. Friends Mourn Victim of Store Heist Near L.A.
The Van Nuys Costco Shooting
On the afternoon of August 13, 2000, two armed men targeted Daniel Salazar, a Sectran Security courier, as he returned to his armored truck after a money pickup at the Costco on Sepulveda Boulevard. The robbers had waited near the entrance with a shopping cart concealing a high-powered rifle, and when Salazar came out alone they opened fire, discharging roughly 30 rounds in the crowded parking lot. Salazar returned fire with a 9-millimeter pistol and made it to the truck uninjured.4Los Angeles Times. Armored Car Robbery Shootout at Van Nuys Costco
Wolf was struck in the head by one of the bullets.3Deseret News. Friends Mourn Victim of Store Heist Near L.A. Three other bystanders were also hit; preliminary ballistic evidence indicated they were shot by the robbers, not the guard.5Los Angeles Times. Police Investigate Van Nuys Costco Shooting As the suspects tried to flee in a white van, the armored truck driver rammed it, blew out a tire, and disabled it nearby. One of the robbers was captured at the scene after being shot in the leg by the guard. Two accomplices escaped.4Los Angeles Times. Armored Car Robbery Shootout at Van Nuys Costco
The CSI Dedication
Carol Mendelsohn and Jim Hart, executive producers of CSI, said in a statement that they were “deeply saddened” and that Wolf “was an amazing young man with a vibrant personality who showed great promise for the future.”3Deseret News. Friends Mourn Victim of Store Heist Near L.A. The second episode of the show’s first season, “Cool Change,” which aired on October 13, 2000, closed with a title card reading “In Memory of Owen Wolf (1971–2000).”6CSI Files. Cool Change Episode Guide
Who Killed Owen Wolf
The man captured at the scene was booked as Ramon Gutierrez but later identified as Ramon Cervantes Chavez. Investigators established that the getaway driver who escaped was his older brother, Ignacio Cervantes Chavez, 48, of Van Nuys.7San Diego Union-Tribune. Convicted Murderers Charged With Two More Killings
Ignacio Chavez went to trial first. On November 2, 2001, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury convicted him of first-degree murder in Wolf’s death, along with four counts of attempted murder and attempted robbery. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.8Los Angeles Times. Getaway Driver Convicted in Costco Shooting
Ramon Chavez, the gunman, also received life without parole for Wolf’s murder.7San Diego Union-Tribune. Convicted Murderers Charged With Two More Killings While serving that sentence, he was tried for the January 14, 1999, execution-style killing of Eleazar Jaramillo Sr., a 26-year-old armored car messenger shot in the back of the head during a robbery at a Jetro Cash & Carry in Vernon. Prosecutors argued the two crimes followed the same pattern: an armored car guard targeted at a warehouse-style store, a shopping cart used to hide the weapon, an attack when the guard was alone, and Ignacio Chavez waiting behind the wheel of the getaway car.9FindLaw. People v. Chavez, Case No. B221345 On December 7, 2009, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder with special-circumstance findings of lying in wait, robbery, and burglary.10Daily News. Convicted Murderer Found Guilty in Armored Car Messenger’s Slaying He was sentenced to a second term of life without parole plus 25 years to life, to run consecutively.11San Bernardino Sun. Man Convicted in Van Nuys Ambush Murder of Armored Car Guard Sentenced to Life
The California Court of Appeal affirmed that conviction in February 2011, and the California Supreme Court declined review that April.12Daily News. State Supreme Court Won’t Review Conviction in Armored Car Messenger’s Killing
Other Killings Tied to the Brothers
In November 2004, prosecutors filed murder charges against both brothers for two additional killings. One was the Jaramillo case. The other was the May 15, 2000, shooting death of Olivia De La Torre, a restaurant owner killed during an attempted robbery at her family’s Pasadena restaurant, La Guadalupana, at about 7 a.m. Investigators also linked the brothers to a home-invasion robbery in Granada Hills four days later.13Los Angeles Times. Suspects Charged in Pasadena Restaurant Killing Both brothers remain in prison serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.