A suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Long Beach girl who died while walking home.
The suspect was identified as Troy Lamar Fox, 34, of Long Beach, who is accused of killing Briana Soto in March, authorities said.
Authorities said they looked at DNA, video and cellphone evidence to identify Fox, who they discovered was already in Los Angeles County sheriff's custody for an unrelated weapons violation.
According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Soto had been walking home on the evening of March 26 while talking to his mother on the phone. He was shot shortly after hanging up the phone and just steps from his front door near 11th Street and Lewis Avenue, police said, according to the newspaper.
“Briana Soto was just 17 years old when she was tragically separated from her family,” Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement Friday. “We will work closely with our partners across the criminal justice system to ensure Briana and her family receive the justice they deserve.”
In comments to local television stations, those who knew Soto described her as a sweet and hard-working person.
In addition to being arrested for Soto's murder, Fox was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in a separate shooting that occurred in April near the 1300 block of Pine Avenue.
