2 men arrested in fatal Wilmington shooting of 12-year-old boy, LAPD says
Authorities say the two men, who police say are gang members, are believed to be cousins.
WILMINGTON, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Two men are now facing murder charges in connection to the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy that occurred in Wilmington last year, police announced Friday.
During a news conference, the Los Angeles Police Department said 21-year-old Damian Martinez and 19-year-old Gabriel Martinez were arrested this week. According to LAPD Capt. Adrian Gonzalez, the two men, who police say are gang members, are believed to be cousins.
The 21-year-old was arrested in his home in Wilmington while Gabriel Martinez was arrested during a traffic stop in Long Beach, police said.
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"We should all be outraged that yet another life is lost far too soon due to gang violence," said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Eddy Wang.
The shooting occurred in December 2021 at Denni Street and Blinn Avenue near Wilmington Park Elementary School, killing Alexander Alvarado, who lived in Wilmington and would have turned 13 later that month.
The shooter also struck a 30-year-old woman who was sitting in an SUV with Alexander, and a stray bullet struck a 9-year-old girl who was in the playground at nearby Wilmington Park Elementary School, where she was taking part in an after-school program.
The woman and girl both survived.
12-year-old boy killed, 2 others wounded in Wilmington shooting
According to police, the suspects approached the Dodge Durango SUV and opened fire for unknown reasons.
After the shooting, the woman in the SUV managed to drive a short distance away, stopping at North Eubank Avenue near East Anaheim Street, where she and the boy were found by authorities, police said.
The suspects arrested also live in Wilmington, which Gonzalez says added challenges. The LAPD believes they're in a gang, and that people who suspected them of committing the crime were afraid to come forward.
Both suspects have been booked on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
City News Service contributed to this report.
