Boy, 13, Is Held in Killing of Man, 87

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested in the killing of an 87-year-old man who was hit in the head with a skateboard, authorities in San Luis Obispo said Wednesday.

The boy and a 12-year-old friend were taken into custody Tuesday after a brief pursuit on foot, police in the Central California city said.

The 13-year-old was booked on suspicion of murder; the 12-year-old was arrested on suspicion of auto theft, Officer Rob Bryn said.

The investigation was triggered Monday evening when a police officer was flagged down and told that a motorist had been seen driving erratically, police said.

The driver’s car was found abandoned and was traced to Gerald O’Malley, authorities said.

Officers went to O’Malley’s home at Village Mobile Home Park and found his body.

“We believe that the weapon that was used to hit Mr. O’Malley was a skateboard,” Capt. Dan Blanke said Wednesday.

Police were continuing to interview witnesses and were trying to determine whether other people were involved, Blanke said.

An autopsy determined that the cause of death was a head injury, said Steve Harris of the San Luis Obispo County coroner’s office. “He was struck with something heavy and with force, sufficient enough to cause a fatal head injury.”

O’Malley had last been seen alive Saturday, and he died sometime before officers went to his home Monday night, Harris said.

His body was released to Wheeler-Smith Mortuary. Officials there would not comment.

The boys were booked into the county Juvenile Services Center, where they remained Wednesday; their names were withheld because of their ages, police said. The district attorney’s office also said it could not comment because the boys were minors.