Alleged gang member arrested in Mid-City football star’s death

A 19-year-old alleged gang member was charged this morning with capital murder in the shooting death of Jamiel Shaw Jr., just hours before the start of the standout high school football player’s funeral, authorities said.

Pedro Espinoza, described by law enforcement as an 18th Street gang member, is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in a downtown Los Angeles courthouse. Espinoza was arrested late Friday in connection with Jamiel’s slaying death, but authorities did not release information about the arrest until today. He is being held in lieu of $1-million bond.

Jamiel, 17, a well-liked Los Angeles High School student, was shot and killed March 2 in the 2100 block of Fifth Avenue. He was three houses from his home in the Mid-City neighborhood known as Arlington Heights when two men in a car pulled up next to him, asked if he belonged to a gang, then shot him when he didn’t answer.

The charge against Espinoza includes a special circumstance allegation that could lead to the death penalty. Prosecutors are alleging Espinoza is “an active participant in a criminal street gang and the murder was carried out to further the activities of the criminal street gang.”

A decision about whether to seek the death penalty against Espinoza, who was arrested by Los Angeles police detectives from the Wilshire Division, will be made by prosecutors at a later date.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was attending Jamiel’s funeral at West Angeles Church of God in Christ, told KNBC-TV Channel 4 that he had been informed of the arrest, but could not provide details, noting that even Jamiel’s family had not yet heard the news.

Jamiel, a high school running back, was named his team’s and the Southern League’s most valuable player in 2007, and he had drawn recruiting interest from both Stanford and Rutgers, his family said. Police said Jamiel was not affiliated with a gang.

Jamiel’s mother, Army Sgt. Anita Shaw, was serving in Iraq when her son was slain and flew home to be with her family. She has called for community action to stop gang violence.

richard.winton@latimes.com