Guns Seized in Probe of Slaying, Rape
Police recovered a small arsenal of firearms--including seven assault rifles--as part of an investigation into the gang rape of a 13-year-old girl and the fatal shooting of an 82-year-old Watts woman July 26, officials said Thursday.
The officers will determine if one of the firearms is the murder weapon.
As a result of raids at three locations in the Watts area, one adult male and three 15-year-old boys were brought in for questioning by South Bureau homicide detectives but were later released, said Deputy Chief Mark Kroeker. One of the boys was charged with possession of a firearm, Kroeker said.
In a related matter, Reginald Kenjon Barner, 20, the only adult implicated in the series of crimes, pleaded not guilty to rape charges at Compton Municipal Court, according to the district attorney’s office. A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 29.
Four juveniles, including a 12-year-old boy who police believe shot Viola McClain, have been charged with kidnapping and raping the girl in an abandoned house next door to where McClain lived. No one has been charged in the murder, officials said.
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