An 18-year-old has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the shooting deaths of two teenage boys near a California beach, authorities said.
Donald William Breeden, of Greenfield, was booked into Monterey County Jail on Friday on suspicion of killing 15-year-old Marco Antonio Perez and 13-year-old Nathaniel Flores. The killings occurred early Monday morning near Jetty Road in Moss Landing, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department.
The charges against Breeden include criminal street gang enhancements. His bail has been set at $2.035 million.
Deputies responded to reports of gunfire shortly before 2 a.m. Monday and found both victims deceased at the scene. Two other individuals sustained injuries and were transported to a hospital.
Breeden's arrest followed an investigation that included a search of a residence in Greenfield on Thursday. Detectives searched a home on Maple Street, detained three individuals, and collected evidence, though no arrests were made at that time. The sheriff's office has not confirmed if Breeden was among those initially detained.
"At this time, the detectives are speaking to those individuals to try and determine what exactly happened on the morning of November 2nd," said Sheriff's spokesperson Andres Rosas. "This is an ongoing active investigation. Our detectives have not stopped working on this case."
Both victims were students in the Salinas Union High School District, which has made counseling and support resources available to students affected by the incident.
Authorities have not yet released details regarding the motive for the shooting or further information about the ongoing investigation.