The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrested a 19-year-old who crashed his car after another man, later determined to be his father, was found dead near a waterfall near Mount Baldy.
According to an LASD release, deputies were dispatched to the area of Mount Baldy Road near Stoddard Canyon Falls in the San Gabriel Mountains at 3:28 p.m. Saturday.
When they arrived, they located a man suffering from “trauma to his upper torso,” deputies said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities did not immediately release any information surrounding his identity.
Another man was seen driving away from the scene and was subsequently involved in a single vehicle crash a few miles away, according to officials.
He was originally detained before eventually being arrested and booked for murder at the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station, LASD stated in an update issued shortly after noon on Sunday.
While his name was not released, deputies identified him as the decedent’s 19-year-old son.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the LASD’s Homicide Bureau by calling 323-890-5500. To submit anonymous information, call Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-8477) or visit www.lacrimestoppers.org
Stoddard Canyon Falls is a 40-foot rockslide waterfall with a pool below; a September 2023 article published in the Los Angeles Times states the location went viral on social media due to its natural beauty and proximity to the Los Angeles area.