Three juveniles, aged 12, 13, and 16, have been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a 53-year-old man in East Bakersfield, California.
Eric Lancaster was killed on July 18 when he was shot outside his home. His father, Vernon “Wes” Lancaster, was also wounded in the incident but survived.
"When my son fell, I reached over as hard as I could to hold his hand and tell him to stay with us, stay with us, and it was too late. It was too late already,” Vernon “Wes” Lancaster told 23ABC News.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office reported that the 16-year-old suspect was apprehended shortly after the shooting in the neighborhood. He was already in custody for a different case before being charged in Lancaster’s death.
Homicide detectives investigated the incident. The other two suspects, aged 12 and 13, were arrested on July 29 and August 2, respectively, following an intensive investigation.
All three juvenile suspects face significant charges, including murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, and criminal street gang enhancement.