17-year-old held in pellet shooting death of his 2-month-old niece
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting his 2-month-old niece with a pellet rifle in what police said was probably an accident.
The boy, whose name was withheld because he is a minor, was sitting on his porch in the 100 block of East 31st Street in South Los Angeles handling the gun when the shooting occurred about 5:30 p.m. Monday, said Det. Richard Arciniaga of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The boy’s sister, who was carrying his 2-month-old niece, was walking toward him when the gun discharged and a pellet struck the baby, police said. The infant, Melody Rojas, died of her injuries about 4 a.m. Tuesday, Arciniaga said.
The teen was detained on suspicion of homicide and held at Eastlake Juvenile Hall. Although police initially said the shooting was probably unintentional, it is not clear whether he will face charges, Arciniaga said. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday, but police plan to take the case to the district attorney’s office today to determine how to proceed, Arciniaga said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
