The father of a 9-year-old boy who was shot and killed outside his grandparents' home in West Rancho Dominguez Saturday night has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Thirty-two-year-old Nicholas Jones, identified by the sheriff's department as the child's biological father, was arrested Sunday in the shooting reported at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the 15000 block of Haskins Avenue, the agency said Monday in a statement. Deputies found the child with a gunshot wound in the backyard of the home, the sheriff's department said.
He died at the scene.
Jones was arrested on suspicion of murder and child abuse resulting in death and booked at East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station. Details about what led to the shooting were not immediately available.
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Relatives of the victim identified the child as Princeton Jones. In a statement for a vigil for the victim, his loved ones said he was shot in front of his grandmother’s house.
“This senseless act has left our family devastated and searching for answers as the investigation remains ongoing,” the statement read.
Items were left Monday at a memorial outside the home. A woman who brought flowers said she was one of Princeton's special education teachers. She described him as a great kid.
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"I want people to remember him for his heart because he had a really big one, and he was just happy and wanted to learn more about the world," said Alondra Delgado.
In an online fundraiser, the child is remembered for his kindness and intelligence. He was described as being a “beacon of joy, lighting up every room he entered with his humor and infectious smile.”
Princeton’s loved ones will be hosting a vigil Sunday at 4 p.m. at 15853 Haskins Ave. in Compton.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
