‘Reprehensible and brazen’: Man charged with killing 17-year-old girl who had just gotten off phone with her mom

After months of investigating, police in California have now charged a man with being the shooter who killed a teenage girl right after she got off the phone with her mother. Troy Lamar Fox, 34, was already in a Los Angeles County jail on an unrelated weapons charge, but he was moved to the Long Beach City Jail for murder. He also faces a count of attempted murder for another shooting.

The victim, Briana Soto, 17, was just steps from home, Long Beach police Chief Wally Hebeish has said, according to The Long Beach Press-Telegram.

“Briana Soto was just 17 years old when she was tragically taken away from her family by a violent individual willing to commit such a reprehensible and brazen act of violence,” Hebeish said in a statement released Friday. “Briana’s death has left her family devastated and has impacted our department immensely. The detectives, officers, and professional staff assigned to this investigation have utilized every available resource to identify and apprehend this suspect, who we believe is responsible for Briana’s murder, as well as two other gun-related crimes in our community. This suspect has demonstrated a willingness to inflict harm on others and we will be working closely with our partners throughout the criminal justice system to ensure Briana and her family receive the justice they deserve.”

The murder

Long Beach cops responded March 26 at approximately 8:26 p.m. to the area of 11th Street and Lewis Avenue to find Soto shot.

“They immediately began rendering medical aid until the arrival of Long Beach Fire Department personnel, who transported the victim to the hospital in critical condition,” they wrote.

She reportedly languished in the hospital for days until dying from the gunshot wound to the head. Officers in April released surveillance footage of a man who they described as the suspect. They reportedly said there was no indication that Soto or the then-unidentified suspect had a prior interaction.

Other allegations

Police now say that that mere days after the murder, on April 9, Fox, a Long Beach resident, opened fire at four people. Officers responded to the 1300 block of Pine Avenue on a shots fired call.

“During this incident, a suspect discharged a firearm in the direction of three juveniles and one adult in a vehicle,” they wrote. “The suspect responsible is believed to be Fox. “

Then on July 7, police responded to the area of 14th Street and Pine Avenue about a report of guns inside a vehicle.

Officers determined Fox and a juvenile were legally barred from possessing guns. “Two firearms were recovered on the suspects and four firearms were recovered from the vehicle,” they wrote.

Police are still reaching out to the public for information.

From cops:

We urge anyone with information to contact Homicide Detectives Ethan Shear or Chasen Contreras at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone (available at the Apple app store or Google Play), or by visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]