Suspects arrested in fatal attack on USC student

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Multiple suspects have been arrested in the fatal attack on USC student Xinran Ji, the LAPD announced Monday. Four suspects were arrested on suspicion of homicide and robbery, according to the LAPD.

In a Monday afternoon news conference, Commander Andrew Smith said the assault followed what they believed was an attempted robbery in the early morning hours of Thursday.

The homicide occurred with special circumstances, making the suspects eligible for the death penalty, according to Smith.

Xinran Ji, a 24-year-old engineering student, was found dead around 7 a.m. on Thursday inside his apartment at the City Park apartment building, where he lived, on the 1200 block of West 30th Street, according to police and USC officials.

He was attacked by assailants at about 12:45 a.m. Thursday near 29th Street and Orchard Avenue, according to the LAPD. Ji was struck with a bat and other weapons, police sources say. He had reportedly been with a study group and had just walked a friend home before heading toward his own apartment when the attack occurred.

Smith said that after allegedly robbing Xinran Ji, the suspects then drove to the area of Dockweiler State Beach and committed another robbery. That led to the arrest of two suspects. The investigation then led to five arrests in total in the Dockweiler-area robbery, all on Thursday.

Jonathan DelCarmen, 19, was arrested and will be charged with murder with special circumstances.

Andrew Garcia, 18, was arrested and will be charged with murder with special circumstances, assault with a deadly weapon and robbery.

Two juveniles, 17 and 16, were not identified. One of them is a female. They were arrested and will be charged with murder with special circumstances, assault with a deadly weapon and robbery.

Charges are expected to be filed Tuesday morning. The suspects are expected to be arraigned Tuesday morning as well.

The fifth suspect, a 14-year-old girl, was not being charged.

The investigation was ongoing. Anyone with information on the killing was asked to call the LAPD at (213) 485-4341.