An 18-year-old is in custody for murder after five people were shot at a National City house party last year. NBC 7’s Shandel Menezes reports.
Police on Thursday arrested a teenager in connection with the shooting death of a 12-year-old during a party at a vacant house in National City last year.
Carlos Maldonado, 18, was taken into custody at 2:30 a.m. and has been charged with murder of Elijah Smith, according to the National City Police Department. The arrest comes four months after the shooting took place on N Avenue just before midnight on Nov. 15, 2024.
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Police say officers responded to reports of gunshots that Friday night. When they arrived at the scene, they learned that the vacant house was being used for a large party of more than 100 people, mostly teenagers and young adults.
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Officers found five people who had been shot. Four of them were teenagers — ages 14, 15, 17 and 18 — and were taken to hospitals. Elijah, a Lemon Grove student, died at the scene, NCPD said.
Four months after being murdered, Elijah's memorial still stands, while the home where the shooting happened is gone. There’s only a concrete slab left behind.
A neighbor’s security footage caught the gunshot sounds. Another neighbor, Art George, said he was home that night and months later as he watched crews demolish the home turned crime scene.
“I saw the, like, a crane and all that stuff," George said.
George was hurt to hear that someone so young got caught up in the chaos.
“A 12-year-old shouldn't be out there … not at midnight,” George said.
When NBC 7 spoke to Smith’s mom, Sofia Smith, back in November, she said he snuck out while she wasn’t home.
The property owner is Big Hill OZ LLC. The law firm representing the owner shared its sympathy with the victims and their families. The owner planned to rehab the property and said they were waiting for a demolition permit from the city. In the meantime, they said they tried to secure the property by boarding it up, posting "no trespassing" signs and even cutting off the water and electricity, but the parties continued.
Neighbors said the party at which Elijah was shot to death was the second one in two weeks.
George is relieved for the family after learning about Maldonado's arrest but said he’s disappointed someone so young could have done so much damage.
“Eighteen, carrying a gun ... I don't know what the world is coming to,” George said.
Maldonado is being held in Central Jail on seven felony counts, including carrying a concealed weapon and murder, and there could be more charges on the way. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
The investigation is ongoing. The NCPD Investigations Division asks anyone with information about this case to call 619-336-4411 and speak with a detective.
