Teen Arrested In Death Of 15-Year-Old Compton Girl
COMPTON (CBSLA) – A 15-year-old boy has been arrested on murder charges in the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl whose body was found in an industrial area of Compton last week.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed Wednesday that the teen was arrested Tuesday in the murder of Samantha Bustos. His name was not released because he is a juvenile.
In the early morning hours of March 25, Bustos's body was discovered in some bushes by a passerby walking to work in the 500 block of West Victoria Street, on the property of National Retail Systems, just outside of a fence.
Investigators say Bustos was discovered with her clothes on and had trauma to her upper body. An autopsy later confirmed that she died from a gunshot wound to the upper torso.
Investigators identified the teen boy as a suspect. On Tuesday, they responded to his home in the 1200 Block of South Central Avenue in Compton in order to arrest him. The boy tried to flee, but was caught on a nearby rooftop.
There was no word on a motive in the killing.
Bustos' family says the teen, who was a sophomore at New Designs Charter School in Compton, was last seen on March 22. Her mother, Blanca Bautista, said she had been spending time that day with her best friend and two males who her family didn't know. Bautista told reporters her daughter had claimed to be going to a sleepover with her best friend, but went to a party instead.
Her family didn't report missing until March 24 because they thought she was staying with her best friend.
Detectives told the family that Bustos was possibly seen in a white Jeep in the area.
The case will now be presented to the L.A. County district attorney's office, who will decide whether to file official charges against the boy.