Arrest in slaying of vet as he left Calif. party

LOS ANGELES -- Police have arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of shooting and killing an Army veteran on a sidewalk in the San Fernando Valley as he left a party at his girlfriend's house.

Los Angeles police spokeswoman Officer Nuria Vanegas says Vincent Estrada was arrested Tuesday in the Sylmar area. He was booked on suspicion of murder.

His bail was set at $1 million, reports CBS Los Angeles.

Vanegas says she had no information on the motive behind Sunday's attack.

Police told CBS Los Angeles Estrada was initially detained by officers while driving with his parents in Sylmar.

Police and witnesses said 21-year-old Francisco Garcia had just left the party when two cars pulled up to him, and that a man in one of the cars jumped out, smashed a beer bottle on the ground and yelled at Garcia.

Investigators said the killer then walked to the other car, grabbed a handgun and began shooting at Garcia.

CBS Los Angeles initially reported Garcia had returned recently from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, citing a news release from the Los Angeles Police Department. However, the station reported Nov. 12 that Garcia didn't serve overseas.

Garcia enlisted in June 2012 and was discharged from the Army in July of this year, Lt. Col. Alayne Conway with the U.S. Army media relations division confirmed to 48 Hours' Crimesider. He was never deployed, Conway said.

During his enlistment, Garcia went through six months of basic training before being stationed at Ft. Drum in upstate New York, Ft. Drum spokesperson Julie Halpin told the station.

Friends who gathered at the crime scene Sunday told CBS Los Angeles they were struggling to make sense of what happened.

Correction: This story has been updated to indicate Garcia did not serve in Afghanistan, as was initially stated by the Los Angeles Police Department.