18-year-old arrested after surrendering in fatal shooting of his sister in Lancaster

LANCASTER, Calif. (KABC) -- An 18-year-old from Lancaster has turned himself in and was arrested in the shooting death of his sister, authorities say.

Authorities had been searching for suspect Eddie Alvirez since his 13-year-old sister was fatally shot Tuesday night.

The shooting was reported Tuesday around 5:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of West Avenue J15.

The victim was described as a juvenile female in her teens. She was brought to a local hospital and pronounced dead there.

"She was only 13 years old, had her whole life ahead of her," said Vanessa Zamora, the victim's aunt, who described her as "the brightest girl I've ever met - happy, very outgoing, smart, loved school, loved to be with her friends."

The girl's brother, Eddie Alvirez, was initially described as a "person of interest" in the case after he fled on foot from the scene.

Authorities later issued an arrest warrant for what was described in a police statement as "his involvement in an assault that resulted in the death of his juvenile sister."

They say Alvirez turned himself in around 2 p.m. Wednesday at the sheriff's department Lancaster Station.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to call Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).