Suspects in Teenager’s Slaying to Be Released

Prosecutors did not file charges Tuesday against two young men arrested last week for the beating death of Jaime Morales, an Oxnard teenager who was killed last month in south Oxnard.

Two of the suspects, Terrence Brumfield, 18, and Fred Williams Jr., 20, both Port Hueneme residents, were scheduled for release late Tuesday night, said Sgt. Cliff Troy of the Oxnard Police Department.

A department official said the men would be released shortly after midnight.

Brumfield, Williams and 20-year-old Donald Brown Jr., who is still at large--were implicated in the killing of 17-year-old Morales, who was beaten to death July 25 in an alley near N and Hill streets.

Morales, a former gang member who family members say was turning his life around, was with a 16-year-old friend.

Details about what prompted the fight are sketchy, but the 16-year-old, who police say is still a gang member, was able to run away from the fight after sustaining cuts and bruises. The teen, who is not being identified because of his age, is now in custody, but officials would not say if his incarceration is related to the case.

Williams and Brumfield were arrested Aug. 14. They were set for arraignment last week, but it was postponed until Tuesday, when the arraignment was put off indefinitely pending further investigation.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Greg Phillips said prosecutors did not want to file charges before having a solid case. “I can say the case is still under investigation,” he said. “We’d rather wait than file the case prematurely.”

Suspects can be held for 48 hours at a time pending arraignment on formal charges before a judge, he said. Williams and Brumfield had to be arrested again over the weekend because of the court delay.