Body Found in Chantry Flats

The body of a man has been found in Chantry Flats in the area of an ongoing search for a murder suspect. A handgun was found nearby.  Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has yet to release the identity of the man.

Several divisions of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Deparment including Special Enforcement Bureau, Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station personnel and Montrose Search and Rescue resumed their search this morning in the San Gabriel Mountains above Arcadia and Monrovia for a murder suspect that is considered armed and dangerous.

The incident began around 5:40 Thursday (04/28/2011) evening when Sheriff’s Homicide detectives responded to the Chantry Flats Recreation Area, unincorporated Sierra Madre, regarding a shooting death investigation.

Investigators learned that a passerby discovered the victim lying on the side of Big Santa Anita Canyon Road, south of the Chantry Flats Recreation Area, unincorporated Sierra Madre. Deputies from Temple Sheriff’s Station were notified and responded to the location. The victim, who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

On Friday, April 30, 2011, homicide investigations sought the public’s help in locating the victim’s vehicle that was taken from the murder site. The vehicle was described as a silver, 1993 BMW 740 series, and 4-door sedan. The California license plate is 3XKB366. The victim was identified as 53-year-old Dean Ron Albert of Arcadia.

At approximately 11a.m. Saturday morning the victim’s car was located in the parking lot of the Mount Wilson Observatory, San Gabriel

Mountains. Witnesses recognized the vehicle after seeing a description, of the silver sedan, in a local newspaper. Deputies from Crescenta Valley Station responded to the parking lot and recovered the vehicle.

Deputies from Crescenta Valley, Temple, and San Dimas Sheriff’s Stations as well as officers from Arcadia, Sierra Madre, and Monrovia Police Departments spent the rest of the day searching for suspect Kevin Pochter, who is wanted for the murder of Dean Albert, in the area between the Mount Wilson Observatory and the Chantry Flats Recreational Area.

On Sunday morning May 1, 2011, team members from the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement and Emergency Services Details resumed a ground search for suspect Kevin Pochter. An air search is also being conducted by Air-Rescue 5. Deputies and search and rescue personnel from Crescenta Valley, Temple, and San Dimas Stations are monitoring the hiking trails and informing hikers about the continuing search for murder suspect Kevin Pochter who is armed and dangerous.

Pocher is a 53-year-old male White. He is 6 feet tall, 175 pounds, and bald with blue eyes. He is wearing dark clothing.

He is an experienced hiker and was last seen hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains above the cities of Arcadia and Monrovia on Saturday evening.

If anyone sees Pocher or knows of his whereabouts they should not take any action, but immediately call 911.