The Los Angeles County Sheriff announced a $20,000 reward Wednesday for information leading to the May street killing of an active-duty Marine in Bellflower.
At 2 a.m. on May 28, officers responded to a pedestrian hit-and-run incident at Virginia Avenue and Artesia Avenue. Peter Chounthala, 42, was found lying in the street with a wound to his upper chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, the Sheriff’s Department said.
During the investigation, officers said they learned at least two men attacked Chantala in a “senseless act of violence” before heading to a nearby parking lot.
Lt. Patricia Thomas of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said at a news conference that the men left Jontala injured on the street before he was hit by a dark-colored 2021 to 2023 vehicle. The four-door Kia K5 was knocked down. Thomas said the car was last seen heading east on Artesia Boulevard.
Investigators have not said whether they believe Jontala’s attacker was driving the car or if he was struck by another motorist.
“He was everything to me and my family,” Jurina Chounthala, the victim’s wife, said at a news conference. “He’s like the glue that holds us together.”
Peter Chounthala, the father of a 3-year-old son, joined the Marine Corps in 2008 and served multiple tours in Afghanistan. The victim’s sister, Witpha Chounthala, said he was scheduled to retire at the end of this year.
“It may take them a day or a hundred years, but trust me, they will find you, no matter where you are, how far you go, or how long you run. You can’t escape.
Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call the Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
