Southern California

Man Faces Capital Murder Charges in Fatal Shooting of 8-Year-Old Boy

The shooting that killed 8-year-old Jonah Hwang was one of four at the same residence

A 35-year-old Pomona man was charged Tuesday in the fatal shooting of an 8-year-old boy, prosecutors said.

Sengchan Houl faces multiple felony counts including murder, shooting from a motor vehicle and shooting at an inhabited dwelling, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.

He also faces special circumstance allegations of using a gun and that the murder was intentional.

Houl was allegedly in a vehicle when he shot at a home in 1100 block of West 11th Street in Pomona in on Feb. 20, prosecutors said.

Jonah Hwang, 8, was fatally struck in the head.

Prosecutors said Houl had reportedly shot at the same Pomona home on Jan. 27, March 7 and this past Saturday. He was arrested on Sunday. Details about why he allegedly fired at the home over several months were not released.

If convicted as charged, Houl faces the death penalty or life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date.

Jonah's adoptive parents had brought him from an orphanage in Taiwan less than three years ago to begin a new American life.

A $20,000 reward was offered late February for information leading to the killer. In Early March, the community rallied together at a "super hero" inspired funeral service for Jonah.

Contact Us