Berkeley Police: Arrest Made In Slaying Of UC Berkeley Student Seth Smith
BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Police in Berkeley on Friday confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with the slaying of 19-year-old UC Berkeley student Seth Smith in June.
Police did not offer any details in regards to the suspect taken into custody or the circumstances of the arrest.
On June 15 at 11:34 p.m., Berkeley police officers responded to a report of a man lying on the ground bleeding in the area of Dwight Way and Valley Street. The victim, who was later identified as University of California at Berkeley student Smith, had been fatally shot.
Later that week, Berkeley police announced a $50,000 reward being offered by the city for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for a fatal shooting on Monday night.
Smith, who grew up in the Sacramento area, graduated from Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove.
The high school theater community organized a private candlelight vigil in Smith's honor last month on the eve of his birthday. He would have turned 20 on July 4.
"He touched a lot of people in positive ways and so they really wanted to have a time to remember him," said his mother, Michelle Rode-Smith.
Rode-Smith wants answers. It's been two and a half weeks since he was found shot and killed just a mile from his new apartment in Berkeley. It was late at night around 11:30 on June 15 when he was gunned down and his family says there are still no leads.
"The Berkeley police have said he was simply walking and he was shot in the back of the head. So we just want answers. If anyone knows anything I would just really like them to come forward," said Rode-Smith.
Smith was set to start his third year at UC Berkeley. Always a lover of theater and cooking, Smith actually chose to double major in history and economics.