Man Held in Slayings of Two Youths at Party in San Diego’s Old Town

Police arrested a man on suspicion of murder Saturday in the shootings of two teen-agers at a “rave” party near a popular tourist spot.

The 15-year-old boys were found by police early Saturday morning as the outdoor party was breaking up in the Old Town section of San Diego.

A rave is an after-hours dance party usually held in an isolated location.

About 250 people were trying to leave a fenced area near the railroad tracks when officers arrived about 4 a.m., the San Diego Police Department said Saturday in a statement.

A shotgun that police believe to be the murder weapon was recovered at the scene, police said.

Arrested was Mark Jonathan Morales, 20, of Paradise Hills.

Police found one of the teen-agers near the railroad tracks. He died at the scene from a shotgun wound to his head.

The second teen-ager was found in a car with friends who were trying to get him to a hospital, police said. He had been shot in the back and was taken to the trauma center at UC San Diego, where he died a few hours later.

Police declined to release the boys’ names until their families were notified.