HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — A quiet Monday morning turned violent when gunfire erupted at a Huntington Beach warehouse, leaving one man critically injured and sparking a multi-agency investigation that ended hours later in a fatal officer-involved shooting.
The incident began on August 18, 2025, at approximately 7:15 a.m., when Huntington Beach Police Department officers were dispatched to reports of shots fired at the California Closets warehouse on Skylab Road. Upon arrival, officers found a male employee suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers applied tourniquets and rendered life-saving aid before paramedics rushed him to a nearby trauma center, where he is expected to survive. A second male employee, also targeted, escaped without injury.
Authorities quickly identified the suspect as Lucero San Pedro-Castro, 29, of Baldwin Park, a fellow employee at the warehouse. Police say she fled the scene in her vehicle before officers arrived.
The HBPD Major Crimes Unit took over the investigation while crime scene specialists processed evidence. However, the firearm used in the shooting was not recovered at the scene.
Several hours later, the situation took a deadly turn in South Gate. According to investigators, a South Gate Police officer attempted a traffic stop on San Pedro-Castro’s vehicle. She reportedly pointed a firearm at the officer, prompting an officer-involved shooting. San Pedro-Castro was struck and later died from her injuries.
The Huntington Beach Police Department confirmed that the attempted murder investigation remains ongoing. Detectives are working to determine the motive behind the workplace violence that has left employees shaken and a community searching for answers.
“This remains an active investigation,” HBPD said in a statement. “We are asking anyone with information to come forward.”
Authorities are urging witnesses or anyone with knowledge of the case to contact Detective Sergeant Anthony Pham at (714) 878-5640, or provide tips anonymously through OC Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227. Information related to the South Gate shooting should be directed to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
The attempted murder at California Closets — followed by the tragic chain of events that ended in the suspect’s death — has left employees and residents reeling, a reminder of how swiftly workplace violence can devastate lives.