Eight Teens Are Arrested in Slaying of Student, 15 : Crime: Youth killed in Garden Grove drive-by shooting wasn’t a gang member. Teachers lauded him.

Police arrested eight teen-agers Wednesday, five of them at local high schools, in connection with the drive-by killing of a highly praised student earlier this month.

Cesar Torres, a 15-year-old sophomore at Garden Grove High School, was shot and killed Nov. 5 and two other boys were injured as they left a birthday party on a quiet residential street.

Police said they believe the shooting grew out of a rivalry between two “party crews,” loosely knit groups of young people who get together for weekend parties at homes or warehouses. Garden Grove Police Capt. David Abrecht said party crews generally are less violent and territorial than gangs.

However, the two crews “had some differences in the recent past,” Abrecht said, which police believe led to the shooting in the 11600 block of Faye Avenue, just before 11 p.m.

Abrecht said investigators identified the suspects through witness statements and interviews and from evidence seized through a dozen search warrants.

Friends said Torres was not involved in gangs and that he had been threatened by some gang members for ignoring them.

On Wednesday, Ruben Delgado, 18, of Garden Grove and three male juveniles were arrested at Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove, Abrecht said. Another juvenile suspect was arrested at Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach.

The three others arrested were Anthony Vergara, 18, of Garden Grove and two juveniles.

All eight were booked on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy, Abrecht said.

The identities of the juveniles were not released, but Abrecht said they were all boys 16 to 17 years old and lived in Garden Grove, Stanton and Huntington Beach. All were taken to Juvenile Hall.

The two 18-year-olds were held without bail at Orange County Jail.

Torres was described by classmates, teachers and employers as a hard-working, conscientious young person. When he had difficulty in school with math, he took summer courses.

He was concerned about appropriate dress on his summer job, working for a city-run program for disadvantaged youths doing maintenance for the school district. Co-workers said Torres spoke of using his paycheck to buy a birthday present for one of his siblings.