Chante Shanok Prieto: Alleged Tagger Killed After Fleeing Officers On 605 Freeway

Interstate 210 and State Route 210 (California) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Brian Hews

An alleged tagger has been killed on the 605 Freeway on July 4.

Details of the grizzly events that ended the life of Chante Shanok Prieto, 26 of Whittier were released to members of the media over the weekend.

“At approximately 9:29pm, deputies from Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station were responding to a family disturbance call. As they were traveling southbound on the 605 freeway just north of Whittier Boulevard, they observed a male Hispanic tagging on the west wall of the freeway,” said Lieutenant Andrew Meyer of the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station.

Sheriff’s claim that Deputies pulled over to the shoulder of the freeway and exited their vehicle in order to detain Prieto, the suspect for vandalism.

“As they approached the suspect on foot, the suspect Prieto looked at them in a startled fashion, dropped the spray can, and ran eastbound across the southbound lanes of the 605 freeway,” Meyer said.

“As deputies were attempting to get back into their vehicle, the suspect was struck by a vehicle traveling northbound on the 605 freeway in the carpool lane,” Meyer said.

Prieto was was killed instantly.

Meyer said that “the suspect is believed to be from a local gang. “

The California Highway Patrol is handling the traffic collision / death investigation, and the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station is handling the vandalism investigation.

The collision caused the closure of the northbound lanes of the 605 Freeway just north of Whittier Boulevard.