Skip to Content
Crime

Taco Crime Blotter Volume 1 No. 2

9:12 AM PDT on July 31, 2006

Okay, so the editors here told me I could write about anything related to crime in the greater Los Angeles area and it did not have to be related to tacos in any way, shape, or form. But look what fell into my lap while I was surfing the LAPD blog this morning:

At 2:05 in the morning on July 22, 2006, Eric Salvador, 26, and his cousin, Efrain Martinez, 27-years-old, were eating at a taco stand (ed. Perhaps La Canada Taqueria, specializing in mariscos?) in the 3100 block of West Pico Boulevard. A male Hispanic by the name of Edgar Suchite, 35, saunters into the stand and begins yelling at the pair, as well as other patrons.

Without warning, Edgar shoots Salvador in the chest. Martinez runs to the aid of his cousin, and fuckhead Edgar turns his piece in that direction, blasting him in the arm and chest. Martinez is a tough customer, though, and we’re not talking about being picky about the cilantro in his tacos. No, the wounded Martinez, along with other patrons, chased Edgar through the Pico-Union neighborhood, caught him, and detained him until the police arrived.

Both Salvador and Martinez were transported to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where, sadly, they later died from their injuries.

Edgar Suchite faces two counts of murder and is being held on $2,000,000 bail.

A strange kind of satisfaction that must have been for Martinez, to chase down and detain the man who murdered you and your cousin. Edgar Suchite will have a long time to contemplate the morbid absurdity that put him where he belongs.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

Mom Channels Grief into New Boba Truck after Firework Tragically Killed Her Eight-Year-Old Daughter

Greatea Bubble Tea House in Anaheim was a neighborhood staple for four years but closed down after Jasmine's death.

September 1, 2026

‘I Can’t Stay Away from Abuses of Power:’ Ten Questions with Cartoonist Ivan Ehlers

"Making art doesn’t have to change the world to be an act of resistance," the Pulitzer finalist tells us. "I never feel depressed when I feel like I’m doing something to fight what I think is wrong."

September 1, 2026

Police Video Shows LAPD Beat Handcuffed Man in Van Nuys Jail Before His Death

LAPD officers forcefully restrained a man, kneed him, and struck him with their elbows. He was later found dead in his cell.

August 31, 2026

From Pasadena to Palmdale: Two Contemporary Noir Novels

Set roughly 120 years apart, new novels by author Naomi Hirahara and actor/comedian Kirk Fox expose the corruption and latent menace just beneath the surface of the City of Angels.

August 29, 2026

Where Do the Candidates for L.A. Mayor Really Stand on Street Vending?

Mayor Karen Bass's team realizes that she messed up by trash-talking street vendors, but is Nithya Raman's campaign really pro-vendor?

August 28, 2026

Tijuana’s Prized ‘Tacos Varios’ Enter East L.A.

The border city's consummate working class taco arrives with rich guisados, handmade corn tortillas, beans, and rice.

August 28, 2026