Juan David Vasquez was giving co-workers a ride home after work on Aug. 7 when there was some kind of altercation. Police say it was a road-rage incident, and the 20-year-old was shot in the head. Vasquez died a week after being shot.
On Aug. 12, police made a traffic stop in the Rampart Division and arrested 18-year-old Jose Beltran. Detectives noticed that the Beltran had striking similarities to the suspect wanted in the Silver Lake shooting.
After further investigating, Beltran was arrested for the Silver Lake murder.
"The Rampart arrest was developed from a simple traffic stop," said LAPD Det. Jose Carrillo.
Carrillo said Beltran didn't have a driver's license, and as they were impounding his vehicle, they recovered a weapon under the driver's seat.
Beltran is a Silver Lake resident and lives about a half-mile from the scene of the shooting.
Police say there was a female juvenile in the car with Beltran the night of the shooting, and she is cooperating with authorities.
Investigators are still looking for witnesses. Anyone with information is urged to call the LAPD Northeast Division at (213) 847-4261.
