A Los Angeles man was charged with murder Tuesday in connection with the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in North Long Beach.
Jose Bustamante Cardenas, 24, did not enter a plea Tuesday at his first court appearance since his arrest Friday night. Police say they took him into custody shortly after he confessed to shooting Lakewood High School student Joshua Simmons during a botched cell phone sale at the Carmelitos housing community.
Police say Simmons met Cardenas through an online marketplace and agreed to meet up with him Friday, April 15 in the 1000 block of Via Wanda.
It was just after 9 p.m. and Simmons intended to buy a cell phone from Cardenas, according to the Long Beach Police Department. But during the transaction, an altercation occurred and Cardenas shot the 15-year-old in the chest and back, authorities said.
Cardenas fled the scene before officers arrived, but he contacted police shortly after and confessed to shooting Simmons, according to the Long Beach Police Department. He was arrested around 10 p.m. at a nearby gas station.
Police located Simmons near a recreation area within the Carmelitos Community Center. Despite officers rendering aid to the boy, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Simmons had just gone on spring break the day of his death. He was a 10th grader at Lakewood High School, according to Long Beach Unified School District spokesman Chris Eftychiou said.
“We’ll offer any necessary counseling for students and staff upon their return,” Eftychiou said.
A GoFundMe page was created to cover the costs of the Simmons’ funeral expenses. It has raised $22,519 of the $25,000 goal as of Wednesday morning.
Marylune Im, the organizer for the GoFundMe page, posted several photos of Simmons surrounded by friends and family with the caption, “Joshua Simmons was loved by his friends. He was that type of friend who checked in with them often. He loved football and basketball. Pray for his friends as they are grieving his loss too.”
A vigil honoring Simmons was held over the weekend at the basketball court where he died.
“Nobody saw this coming,” Simmons’ uncle Vannarith Im told KTLA.
Meanwhile, Cardenas is due back in court to potentially enter a plea on May 10, court records show. He remains in jail on $3 million bail.
UPDATE: Man arrested in connection to shooting death of teenager in North Long Beach, police say