2 Arrested In 2012 Murder Of 14-Year-Old Riverside Boy
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities Thursday said charges have been filed again two gang members in the 2012 murder of a 14-year-old Riverside boy.
Cristian Velasquez, 23, and 24-year-old Manuel Barbarin have been charged with murder with special circumstances, hate crime and gang violence for the death of Lareanz Simmons. A third unidentified suspect remains outstanding, officials said.
Police said Simmons was gunned down by the suspects in the front yard of his home on Feb. 23, 2012 because of he was black.
"Detectives believe the shooting was gang motivated and racially motivated," Sgt. Bill McCoy said.
Simmons had no gang affiliation and was a popular freshman at Poly High School who gave back to his community through his work with the Junior ROTC program.
A $50,000 reward was offered in March 2012, but it wasn't until August of last year that authorities received information that lead them to Velasquez and Barbarin.
"If you've ever lost a 14-year-old, you can tell me what closure is," Theresa Stewart, Simmons' mother, said. "But every day I cry . . . but this is the happiest to know that they're going to be held accountable."
"He would be graduating this year from high school. And every time I think about it, it hurts because we were planning, we were planning on that day and what he was going to be doing afterwards," Simmons' grandmother Bernice Hobdy said.
Both men were already in custody on unrelated charges at the time. Valeasquez was set to be arraigned Friday. It was unclear when Barbarin, who is in prison, would appear in court.