A teenage boy has been arrested and booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of shooting and killing a 15-year-old boy he went to high school with in Spring Valley, authorities said Tuesday.
The unnamed 15-year-old boy is expected to be charged with murder in the death of Omar Marquez Jr., who was found wounded on a sidewalk near Palm and Mulder streets in Lemon Grove.
Shots were reported in the area just before 2 a.m. Saturday and someone was seen running from where the victim was found, according to Lt. Chris Steffen of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
The teen was arrested by the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force around 7 p.m. Monday in a neighborhood just blocks from where the shooting occurred, Steffen said.
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"The suspect and the victim attended the same high school," the lieutenant said. Friends said they attended Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley.
The circumstances and motivation for the shooting are still under investigation.
A curb-side memorial was growing Monday at the spot where Marquez died. Family and friends sang songs and reflected on the teenager's memory.
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“It's just so crazy because he was so innocent, so sweet,” said his friend Fernanda. “The greatest personality and a big smile. To not see that anymore, it’s heartbreaking.”
Bella Cervantes said she'll never forget her 15-year-old friend's heart.
“He was always there for me as a friend when stuff went down," Bella said. "With certain personal stuff, he was there to support me and tell me everything would be fine."
Marquez had just finished his first year at Mt. Miguel High, where, his father said, he tried out for the football team. Family and friends said that fishing and playing video games were just a few of Omar’s hobbies.
“He wanted to be a millionaire," said Omar's father, who said making money was a big part of his son’s life.
That’s part of the reason why, he said, he was looking forward to taking his son to work with him more often this summer at his construction site.
“So he could open up and open his eyes to the real work world and what it's about," said Omar’s dad.
Omar’s father didn't say what his son was doing outside at the time of the shooting; he only said it was a tragedy. For their part, Omar’s friends are struggling to understand while the search for the gunman continues.
