Teen May Face Murder Charge in Carjacking : Crime: The suspect’s companion was killed by an off-duty O.C. sheriff’s deputy after the youths allegedly stole his car.

A 16-year-old runaway from Riverside, who police say used a BB gun while stealing the car of an off-duty Orange County sheriff’s deputy, may face murder charges because his accomplice died during the robbery, authorities said Monday.

The teen-ager, whose name has not been released because of his age, is being held at Riverside Juvenile Hall for his alleged role in the carjacking here Saturday morning. Sixteen-year-old Juan Heras was shot in the back by the off-duty deputy as the two teen-agers drove away in the stolen car, said Corona police Lt. Robert Martin.

“If you are armed and somebody dies in the commission of a felony, even though you are not the one who shoots them, you can be charged with murder,” said Martin. The juvenile also faces charges of armed theft and armed robbery.

The deputy and his wife, who is also an Orange County sheriff’s deputy, were at the drive-through window of a Carl’s Jr. restaurant just off the Riverside Freeway at 1:25 a.m. when two teen-agers demanded the couple’s car.

The couple got out of the car. As the teen-agers entered the vehicle, the husband announced that he was a sheriff’s deputy and drew his service revolver, police said.

“The kid with the gun had the hammer cocked and had it pointed toward the deputy,” Martin said. “The deputy fired four rounds, three of which struck the car.”

Heras drove the car away from the restaurant but passed out from his injuries about half a mile away. The other teen-ager, who police said was the gunman in the crime, abandoned the car and was arrested more than six hours later at a nearby convenience store.

Heras, also a runaway, was taken to Corona Regional Medical Center where he died a short time later.

A 16-year-old female runaway, who was with the two males shortly before the incident, was also arrested. She was later released to her parents because she apparently didn’t know about the pair’s plan to commit the carjacking, Martin said.

The Riverside County district attorney’s office will decide later this week what charges to file in the case, Martin said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department had no comment on the shooting Monday.

A department spokesman said the couple, whose names have not been released, were expected to be at work this week.