NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (KGTV) — The National City Police Department says it has arrested a teen in connection to a Nov. 2024 house party shooting in which a 12-year-old boy was killed.
According to NCPD, officers responded to calls reporting shots fired in the 1000 block of N Avenue in National City around 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2024. Five people out of the hundreds attending the party were shot, and paramedics provided first aid and took the injured to the hospital.
The boy who died, Elijah Smith, was pronounced dead at the scene, NCPD says.
The department says during its four-month investigation, officers identified 18-year-old Carlos Maldonado as the suspect. The press release says detectives arrested Maldonado and charged him with murder at 2:30 a.m. Thursday.
NCPD says it is not providing more information at this time; however, it will hold a press conference when the investigation is completed.
If you have any information for police about this case, reach out to NCPD's non-emergency line at 619-336-4411.
ABC 10News recently covered an event honoring Smith in Imperial Beach. His family had gathered at the pier to recognize his 13th birthday.
"We had a good time here," Alvarez Smith said. "We took Elijah many times on the pier, and he'd fish and catch a lot of stingrays."
In December, NCPD Detective Mark Segal told 10News that making an arrest in the case came with a challenge: The age group of potential witnesses was mostly teenagers.
"There's probably fear of retribution for attending that party, and we're having a hard time with young people coming forward to share what they know," Segal said. "They're just hesitant about being labeled a snitch or rat or going against their friends or their group and potentially being the one that helps police."
A $1,000 reward was being offered through Crime Stoppers for tips leading to a felony arrest.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- 12-year-old victim's family speaks out after fatal shooting in National City
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This is a developing story. Stay with ABC 10News as our team of journalists works to gather the latest information.
