A 16-year-old boy from Las Vegas has been taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in a parking lot near the Santa Monica Pier over the weekend, police said.
The juvenile surrendered to Santa Monica Police Department detectives on the evening of July 21, two days after officers responded to a report of a possible shooting in Parking Lot 1 North, at 1550 Pacific Coast Highway, according to police.
Officers arriving at the lot at about 12:32 a.m. July 20 found an adult man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving efforts, the man, later identified by the Los Angeles County medical examiner's office as Edgar Buitimea, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A preliminary investigation found that a physical altercation broke out between two groups shortly before the shooting, police said. During the course of the investigation, detectives identified the 16-year-old as the suspect. Because of his age, police said no additional identifying information would be released.
"Violence of any kind has no place in our community," Santa Monica Police Chief Darrick Jacob said in a statement. "While nothing can replace the life that was lost, the swift and focused work of our detectives resulted in the suspect being safely taken into custody. This is an important step, but our work is not finished. Our beachfront is one of Santa Monica's most heavily visited public spaces, and we remain committed to keeping it safe for residents, visitors, businesses, and everyone who comes to enjoy our community."
The shooting capped one of Santa Monica's busiest weekends in recent memory. The city hosted an open streets festival downtown alongside large public watch parties for the World Cup final. Thousands of visitors flooded the downtown area ahead of the match's noon kickoff, and while many crammed roadways trying to leave after the game, large crowds persisted through the rest of the day.