Two men have been arrested in a shooting at a crowded Halloween party two years ago that killed an 18-year-old man in Ontario.
Jesus Sanchez was standing outside the house party about a week before Halloween when he was struck in the back by a flurry of gunfire. Gang members who had been turned away from the party returned and opened fire, striking five people, police said.
Police on Tuesday announced the arrests of two men who were under 18 at the time. Sanchez's family members, including his mother, were at Tuesday's news conference announcement.
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"I try to do my best and be the strong sister because I know my parents are going through a lot," said sister Casandra Sanchez. "At times, I feel alone.
"Every day hearing my mom cry, I feel like I can't do anything to help and it just destroys me."
Investigators spent hundreds of hours during the past year and half trying to track down the killers, police said. On May 31, search warrants were served at the suspects' homes where detectives said evidence was found that linked the men to the shooting.
During the searches, authorities recovered firearms, ammunition, extended magazines and a ballistic vest. Details about what led authorities to the homes were not immediately available.
The men, who were ages 16 and 17 at the time of the crime, are currently facing prosecution in juvenile court.
"Even if they're adults, they're still treated as if they're juveniles throughout not only the process, but any potential sentence they may get," said San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson.
County prosecutors said they will try to pursue murder charges in adult court, which could mean a much longer prison sentence.
"They know what a gun has a power to do, and they took my brother from me," said Casandra Sanchez. "Not only from me, my family. They broke our dreams, our hopes, our future."
