Two individuals sentenced to life in prison for a crime spree that included a fatal carjacking of a La Habra man.
A 32-year-old man, identified as Joshua Reneau, has been sentenced to two life terms without the possibility of parole following his conviction for the murders of two individuals connected to violent criminal activities. The sentencing took place on September 18, 2023, in Los Angeles Superior Court, where Reneau was found guilty of multiple serious offenses, including two counts of murder, ten counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of carjacking, two counts of second-degree robbery, along with charges of possession of a firearm by a felon and fleeing from law enforcement.
The charges against Reneau stem from a series of violent incidents that began on July 29, 2022. During a robbery at a jewelry store in Reseda, Reneau’s accomplice, Earl Hunter, was fatally shot by a security guard while attempting to carry out the crime. In a separate incident on October 13, 2022, Reneau was involved in a carjacking that resulted in the tragic death of 63-year-old Larry Walker from La Habra. Walker was dragged for approximately two miles when Reneau commandeered his vehicle during an escape from pursuing police officers.
The events leading to the murders commenced shortly after midnight in the 18500 block of Sherman Way, Reseda, where Reneau and three accomplices perpetrated street robberies that left two victims injured and resulted in the theft of valuable jewelry. Police later determined that the jewelry store victim had been specifically targeted.
Less than an hour after the Reseda incident, Earl Hunter was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 18300 block of Saticoy Street. Despite being transported to a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
On the date of the second murder, law enforcement officials apprehended Derek Hall and Miracole Brown, both of whom were linked to Reneau. Following their arrests, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Reneau, which led them to a residence in the 5900 block of Seventh Avenue. When officers observed Reneau attempting to enter a vehicle later that day, a police pursuit ensued after the vehicle’s driver fled from the scene.
The pursuit escalated when Reneau carjacked Walker’s vehicle; the victim became entangled in the seatbelt and was tragically dragged along for a significant distance before Reneau crashed into several police vehicles. The car ultimately flipped over near the intersection of Prairie and Florence avenues in Inglewood, where Walker’s body was subsequently discovered.
After initially barricading himself inside the vehicle, Reneau surrendered to law enforcement, concluding a harrowing series of events that took two lives and altered countless others. His sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching consequences of violent crime.
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