Local News in Brief : 2 Arrested in Girl’s Death
Compton police booked two suspects Wednesday in the slaying of an 11-year-old girl whose bound and gagged body was found by her parents in an abandoned guest house.
The man identified as the prime suspect in the case, Alfonso Howard, 21, of Compton, was arrested late Tuesday on suspicion of murder in the gunshot slaying of Wendy Bustamante. Howard was picked up after he called police and told them he could be found at an aunt’s home in South-Central Los Angeles, Lt. Percy Perrodin said.
A 17-year-old then was arrested without incident Wednesday morning based on information provided by Howard, Perrodin said.
The victim had been the subject of a massive search after her parents reported her missing Saturday evening. Her body was found Monday. Police said they found evidence that the body was dragged from Howard’s nearby residence into the guest house.
An autopsy revealed that the girl had been killed Saturday night and that there were signs of “sexual trauma,” Perrodin said.
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