14 DAY TRIAL // Police have arrested two known gang members in Los Angeles for the murder of a man that they lured by posting an ad for a Samsung Galaxy phone on Craigslist.
17-year-old Ryan Roth and 18-year-old Markell Thomas fatally shot a 41-year-old father of two in front of his elder son, Christian Post reports.
Rene Balbuena was killed in South Los Angeles at 7:40 p.m. on Saturday, as his 15-year-old son was watching. The boy's aunt, Ana Guerrero, tells CBS that the teen has been scarred by the incident.
“My nephew has been unable to talk at all. Nothing,” she says.
“My brother he was a good man, a good father, a good husband, a good brother … and a good everything,” she adds.
The teenager was also injured in the shooting, but his wounds were not life threatening. A bullet pierced his body and ended up near his rib cage.
Los Angeles Police Det. Chris Barling describes that the father and son called about the phone and met the suspects at 92nd Street and Gramercy Place. They were shot during an attempted robbery.
“They began to rob the Balbuenas. Suspect Markell Thomas entered the rear passenger seat of the Balbuenas’ vehicle and pointed a gun at the 15-year-old.
“Both suspects demanded property. Mr. Balbuena exited the car at one point and suspect Ryan Roth shot Mr. Balbuena. His son was also struck by gunfire. Both suspects then fled the scene on foot,” Barling details.
The forensic examiner's office recovered three bullets from the victim's upper torso.
As the killing took place during an attempted robbery, the incident is a capital crime, which can be punished with the death penalty in Thomas' case. Roth cannot be granted the death sentence since he is still a minor.