Sparks police have made an arrest in the case of a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head while inside his apartment in what was described as a random drive-by shooting.
Police said they arrested Jimmy Lopez-Valadez, 35, last week based a tip detectives received through the Secret Witness program. The suspect was booked into jail on charges of discharging a firearm from or within a motor vehicle, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm.
In a news release, police and the victim’s family expressed gratitude to the citizen who reported the tip. Without the information, an arrest would have been difficult, police said.
Police said all evidence indicates that the shooting was random and not related to any other criminal activity in the area. The victim’s residence was not specifically targeted, and no other subjects are believed to be involved, police said.
The shooting was not directed at other people, police said.
The boy was shot inside an apartment at 4005 Moorpark Court during the early morning of Sept. 20. He was struck in the head by a single bullet that passed through the wall, police said.
The boy’s identity has not been released by police.
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