Shooting Victim Identified as Tustin Pupil : Crime: Police have few clues in death of eighth-grader Carl Dan Claes, 14, whose body was found in a ditch.

The youth who was fatally shot and dumped in a Lemon Heights ditch was identified Friday as 14-year-old Carl Dan Claes, an eighth-grader at a Tustin middle school.

A pedestrian discovered Claes’ body Wednesday morning, sprawled just south of Foothill Drive, about a mile from his home. The teen-ager had been shot in the head.

Claes attended A.G. Currie Middle School in Tustin, having transferred from Columbus Tustin Middle School five weeks ago. He has lived with his grandfather since he was a toddler.

“His grandfather described him as a normal kid with typical teen-age problems, but nothing that would lend itself to this problem,” said Lt. Dan Martini, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “He was having difficulty with his schoolwork, but his grandfather related that to the transition into a new school.”

On Friday, counselors and psychologists were available for students and staff at both schools Claes attended, said David L. Andrews, superintendent for Tustin schools.

Claes, described as an affable youth, had made more friendships among fellow students at Columbus Tustin, which he had attended until Easter break, said Adele Casso Heuer, principal at Columbus Tustin.

“We had kids that knew him for a long time and they were in shock,” Heuer said.

At Currie, Principal Jerry M. Kill said the youth’s grandfather had contacted the school and requested that his grandson not be identified to other students.

Kill informed the students over the public address system that “one of our students had passed away” and that as soon as more information was known, it would be shared.

Claes, whose parents separated and live out of state, had lived with his paternal grandfather since 18 months of age. Investigators have contacted the teen’s mother, who they said is on her way to Tustin, but have not reached his father.

Claes was last seen by his grandfather at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, after the two watched a hockey game on television, Martini said. After going to sleep, the grandfather awoke at 1:30 a.m. and noticed Claes missing, but thought he had gone to a friend’s home, Martini said.

Claes’ grandfather notified sheriff’s investigators Thursday afternoon after seeing news reports about an unidentified body being found.

The grandfather helped identify the boy. Investigators will now try to retrace the youth’s steps up to the time of the murder, which is believed to have occurred between 9 p.m and midnight Tuesday, Martini said.

Investigators, however, are baffled by the killing because there is no apparent motive. There are no indications that Claes was tied up or that a struggle occurred, Martini said.

“We are still beating the brick on this case,” he said. “We’ve had a team that worked through the night plus had relief teams canvassing the neighborhood. Now it’s just a matter of talking to associates, friends and contacts.”

Claes’ friends have asked Columbus Tustin school administrators for permission to express their sympathy through a project, such as a tree planted on campus as a memorial for the youth.