18-Year-old California Man Arrested For Fatally Shooting Friend

An 18-year-old California man was arrested for allegedly fatally shooting his 17-year-old friend, and then falsely informing the police they were both victims of a drive-by shooting.

On Sunday night, the police were called to a resident in Anaheim to investigate a shooting report. Responding officers found the 17-year-old boy inside the house and took him to a local trauma center, reported CW-affiliated KTLA. The boy, identified as Danilo Ashton Arauz, succumbed to his death from his injuries after being taken off life support Thursday night.

Responding officers at the scene had contacted 18-year-old Zachar Pickrell, who identified himself as a friend of the victim. He told the officers he and Arauz had been the victims of a drive-by shooting, the Orange County Register reported.

Upon investigating the incident, homicide detectives determined there had been no drive-by shooting. According to the Anaheim Police Department, Pickrell shot the boy.

Pickrell was taken to the Anaheim Detention Facility on suspicion of attempted murder charges, while his friend was on life support. Later he was transferred to Orange County Jail, where he is being held on a $1 million bond. Pickrell is expected to be charged with murder, the police said. The motive for the shooting was not clear.

“He always lived with passion and excitement, Ashton was the happiest kid,” wrote the Arauz family on a GoFundMe page, which has been set up to pay for funeral expenses. “He had some crazy curly hair, which matched his goofy personality. He is unlike anyone else, and will forever be missed and loved.”

“Our hearts (are) shattered, but we will find comfort in our memories and knowing we have an angel watching over us,” wrote the victim’s older brother, Blake Goldstein, on his private Instagram account, the Orange County Register reported.

Earlier this month, a 19-year-old Ohio man was arrested for allegedly stabbing his friend multiple times and killing him. The suspect told the police he and the victim were in the area for a concert and had been drinking. While on their way back, the friend allegedly became angry and started throwing things out of the car. At one point, the suspect stopped the car and got out. The victim then started punching him, which led to the stabbing.