Authorities have identified the 12-year-old child who was found shot to death on a Santa Clarita roadside on Monday.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department verified on Tuesday night that the deceased person was Canyon Country resident Willians Lemus Ayala.
Early on Monday morning, Ayala was discovered close to the confluence of Placerita Canyon and Sand Canyon roads. Ayala was a seventh grader at La Mesa Junior High School, according to family friends.
*UPDATE* – #LASD Homicide Bureau Responded to a Shooting Death Investigation, Intersection of Sand Canyon Rd and Placerita Canyon, #CanyonCountry – https://t.co/ofhNWvGrvJ pic.twitter.com/dMAnIDTB76
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) November 8, 2023
He was discovered with what seemed to be a gunshot wound at 6:30 in the morning on the side of a distant road in an area covered in vegetation.
At the scene, the authorities declared him deceased. At this point, it’s unknown if the youngster died close to the location or if the side of the road abandoned his corpse.
“He was smart, respectful,” said Marta Escobar, a family friend. “He was a quiet guy. He was trying to protect his family. Right now, the whole family is devastated. It’s so sad for them.”
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Investigators are investigating whether the deadly incident may have been tied to a gang, but no information about a possible suspect has been made public thus far.
Authorities misdiagnosed the victim as an adult man at the time of the discovery.
The boy’s family is praying that detectives will find his murderer quickly. To assist the Ayala Family with the boy’s burial preparations, a GoFundMe page was created.