A teenage girl was found shot dead inside an Arcadia home Thursday morning, and the man accused of killing her was discovered an hour later with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on a Pasadena sidewalk.
Paul Anthony Cruz Jr., 20, allegedly forced his way into the residence on the 800 block of West Huntington Drive and opened fire before fleeing, according to authorities. Arcadia police responded around 11 a.m. After a caller reported a man inside the home had fired a gun.
Officers arrived to find the teenage victim suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released her identity.
Cruz had already fled by the time police reached the home. Investigators believe he drove to Pasadena, where he attempted suicide approximately one hour after the initial shooting.
At around 12:30 p.m., Cruz was discovered with the self-inflicted wound, Pasadena city spokesperson Lisa Derderian told The Los Angeles Times. He was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.
A witness who saw the Pasadena shooting told the newspaper there were multiple people present when Cruz shot himself on the sidewalk in broad daylight. The witness said he saw the man lying face down and that police arrived about “five seconds” later.
“It was really fast,” he said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Cruz shot himself as Pasadena police officers were preparing to contact him. Authorities have not released further details about what led to the shooting or the events surrounding the alleged attack.
The Arcadia residence where the teenage girl was killed sits on West Huntington Drive, a major thoroughfare in the San Gabriel Valley city northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The Pasadena shooting occurred roughly six miles west in a separate city jurisdiction, drawing multiple law enforcement agencies into the unfolding case.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.