A 17-year-old Long Beach resident is accused of murdering his 21-year-old ex-girlfriend inside her home, Long Beach police said today.
According to police, the suspected shooter was arrested last week on Orange Avenue near 61st Street, four days after the murder, and booked into jail on two unrelated no-bail warrants.
After the arrest, detectives determined the teen was the ex-boyfriend of 21-year-old Justice Lopez and was believed to have fatally shot her on Nov. 22, police said.
The teen’s name was withheld by police because he is a minor.
Police said the killing occurred shortly after 11:40 a.m. on Nov. 22. Officers responded to Gaviota Avenue near 10th Street where they found Lopez with a gunshot wound to her upper body inside her home. Lopez was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators determined her killer approached Lopez inside her residence and shot her, then fled on foot before officers arrived, police said.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
On Monday, homicide detectives presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether to seek charges against the suspected shooter as an adult.