EL MONTE – A well-known and popular auto shop owner was found shot and killed at his shop early Wednesday morning, police said.
Police arrived at Hector Urias Auto Repair at 3548 Santa Anita Ave. at around 5:30 a.m. and found owner Hector Urias, 48, dead.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Don Slawson said there appeared to have been a struggle at the auto shop and police are investigating the death as a homicide. It appears nothing was taken, Slawson said.
Slawson believes the murder happened sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. Tuesday night. Urias had a basketball game at 9 p.m. that he never showed up for, and when he didn't come home later that night, his wife became worried.
Early Wednesday morning Urias' aunt drove by the shop, saw the lights on and found the body in the shop's office.
Urias grew up in El Monte and lived in La Verne. He had owned the shop for about 20 years and was very well-known in the community.
"If there was a Mr. El Monte, Urias was him," said long-time friend David Herrera. "If you're from El Monte, you knew him."
Urias graduated from El Monte High School, where he played football, basketball and baseball. As an adult he took up golf and auto racing.
"He was a great athlete.... No matter what sport he competed in, he was always the best," said former police chief Ken Weldon, who coached Urias in Little League.
"I can't imagine why anyone would do this," Weldon added.
Urias and his wife, a teacher at Park View Elementary, were in the process of adopting a baby girl through the foster care system, friends and family said.
They had had cared for the girl for nearly six months, since she was two weeks old, and Wednesday they were to have signed the final adoption papers, El Monte Police Officer Mando Santa Anna, a close friend, said.
"They tried for years to have a child but it never happened, 18 years they tried. He was very excited to be a dad because he loved kids. You can't imagine how happy he was," Urias' cousin Ray Ramos said.
Urias regularly raced his black Volkswagen Beetle at Irwindale Speedway and was part of the Urias Racing team. He held many speed records, friends said.
Dozens of friends, family, customers and passersby crowded around the shop Wednesday morning, comforting each other and sharing memories of Urias.
"He is a person everybody could go to and rely on, he was a great respectful man," Santa Anna said.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_16017237?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz0z6a2fBCB]
another acvw legend gone :'(
i never met the guy, but i have seen his name and pics of his cars in the mags...and after reading the thread on the ultimate aircooled site (posted below) it's easy to see that he was truly an inspiration and an institution in the acvw scene. he had a bitchin fast black promod and apparently was well known for his willingness to always lend a hand, his ability to treat everyone with respect and as an equal, and for his hugs (all good traits that we could all practice more often). such a tragic and meaningless loss and just a week before his 48th birthday.
rip hector.
http://ultimateaircooled.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=8901.0(^^you might have to log on to view...)
