Teen Faces Manslaughter Charge in Death

A teen-ager suspected of shooting a 9-year-old boy earlier this week is expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter at a hearing today in Orange County Juvenile Court in Orange.

The 15-year-old Garden Grove High School student could face nine years in the California Youth Authority if found guilty of the charges, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Brent said.

The suspect, who is held in Orange County Juvenile Hall, is suspected of shooting Diego Martinez Rios in the head Tuesday evening, apparently with a handgun belonging to his older brother, who is a security guard. Brent would not release the youth’s name.

The fourth-grader, who was killed instantly, had been standing in front of a house where the teen-ager lives in the 300 block of South Bush Street when the shooting occurred. The victim lived with his family in an apartment around the corner and knew the teen-ager.

“We had to sift through all the evidence and decide what charges to file,” Brent said. “We didn’t think it was an accident, but we didn’t think it was a murder either. We were right in the middle.”

Witnesses said the teen-ager fled from the house immediately after the shooting, but his mother turned him in at police headquarters later that night. She said her son had run away because he was scared and that the shooting was accidental.

At today’s hearing, a judge will decide whether the teen-ager must remain at Juvenile Hall until his trial. If so, his trial must be held within 15 days.