A man and a teen have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Boyle Heights earlier this month, and police believe they may be tied to several other homicides.
The shooting occurred around 5 p.m. Aug. 12 inside the recreation center at Evergreen Park, located at 2844 E. 2nd St., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The victim, Alfonso Ramos, was treated at the scene but succumbed to his injuries. Police initially identified his first name as Alonso before correcting it later in the day.
An investigation led to the identity of two suspects: 26-year-old Michael Monarrez and a 14-year-old juvenile.
Ramos was apparently confronted while he played basketball at the gym.
“He’s confronted, he’s chased into a room and he’s murdered at the hands of a young person who’s younger than him,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore said Thursday. “A 14-year-old is not born to be a murderer. How did he get to that point?”
While detectives were working to arrest the suspects, a second shooting occurred.
Around 10 a.m. Aug. 17, LAPD officers responded to the 500 block of Lorena Street for a shooting investigation. Inside an apartment they found Fermin Ruelas, 45, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim died at the scene.
During the second investigation, LAPD detectives determined Monarrez was allegedly also responsible for the shooting death of Ruelas and was arrested shortly after the killing, police said.
The juvenile was arrested in connection with Ramos’ killing on Aug. 18.
Monarrez was subsequently charged with two counts of murder, while a petition was filed by the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office to also charge the juvenile with murder, police said.
Investigators said the shootings might be gang-related and the suspects may be tied to at least six homicides.