SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A 15-year-old boy appeared in San Diego Juvenile Court Thursday and denied shooting and killing his father in their Scripps Ranch home.
The boy was charged with one count of murder with a gun enhancement attached. It remains unclear if the case will be moved to an adult court.
Prosecutor said, “Hypothetically speaking, a juvenile with similar charges will be held until the age of 23 potentially.”
10News learned the teen's mother, brother, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and the brother's girlfriend attended the hearing.
Thanh Pham, 46, was shot to death inside a home in the 11200 block of Affinity Court on April 29, according to San Diego police.
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Police said officers responding to a report of a shooting at the condominium complex found a critically injured Pham lying on a bedroom floor. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
The victim's son -- identified as the suspected shooter -- was not found in the house following shooting. He was taken into custody in the early morning hours of April 30 after a witness spotted him walking in the 10100 block of Scripps Poway Parkway, several miles from where the shooting took place.
At the time of his arrest, the teen was carrying a handgun and several rounds of ammunition, according to police.
The boy is scheduled to return to Juvenile Court on May 18 for a readiness hearing.
