The body of 15-year-old Samantha Bustos was found dumped in an industrial park in Compton, California on March 25. Her body was found days after she was last seen with two men in a white Jeep on Friday, March 22. She was found with a gunshot wound to the torso.
According to KTLA-TV, two arrests have been made relating to Bustos’ murder and both suspects are 15-year-old boys.
The first arrest reportedly came on Saturday, March 30, while SWAT team officers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department made the second arrest on Tuesday, April 2.
When officers arrived to arrest the second suspect, he initially fled to a nearby rooftop. However, he ultimately surrendered.
The Daily Mail provided further details about Bustos’ murder.
Investigators say Samantha Bustos-Vital, 15, of Gardena, California was discovered around 1.30am on March 25 laying face down in some bushes in the 500 block of West Victoria Street near a fenced-off area of Dominguez Hills Industrial Park. Bustos suffered a gunshot wound to her upper torso. Bustos’s uncle, Jose Bautistas, said she was ‘bruised and cut.’
Authorities have yet to reveal how long her body was stashed in the industrial park or when she was killed.
The suspects’ names were not released because they are minors.
According to Bustos’ mother, Blanca Bautista, Samantha and a friend lied to their parents about staying at each other’s houses on Friday before they went to a party. Her mother is trying to get additional information from her daughter’s friend about Samantha’s last moments, but her story reportedly keeps changing, according to NBCLA.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for Bustos’ funeral expenses. A total of $16,138 was raised. Our deepest condolences go out to Bustos’ family and friends during this incredibly difficult and tragic time.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or submit a tip anonymously via 800-222-8477.
