911 caller arrested in Pasadena police shooting

Police were dispatched to the scene after a man, identified as Oscar Carrillo, called 911. He said two armed men had stolen his laptop computer and backpack as he was buying tacos at a stand on Orange Grove Boulevard.

But on Wednesday, officials said that Carrillo, 26, lied to police about the existence of a gun and that detectives now believe neither McDade nor the other person were armed.

Carrillo was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.

“Mr. Carrillo emphatically indicated a gun was involved … that is very important. It sets the platform for the mind-set of the responding officers,” Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said at a news conference Wednesday.

On a 911 tape released by police, Carrillo is heard saying first that one of the suspects had a gun and later that both were armed. Here is an excerpt:

“Two guys … just put a gun in my face,” the caller said.

“It was two guys…. Oh my God.”

The dispatcher asked for details about the attackers and in which direction they fled.

“Did they have any weapons?” the dispatcher asked.

“Yeah, they have a gun,” the caller responded.

“Do you remember anything about the gun?” the dispatcher asked.

“Both have a gun, man,” the man said. “They run away from me.”

Sanchez said that after more interviews, Carrillo admitted to detectives that he lied about the gun.