SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A sidewalk memorial continued to grow on the corner of Palm and Mulder streets in Lemon Grove, Tuesday. Loved ones identified a teen shot and killedat the corner early Saturday morning as 15-year-old Omar Marquez.
His older brother told ABC 10News the teen lived just a house down from where he was shot. He said the teen had just wrapped up his freshman year at Mt. Miguel High School.
He described Marquez as a happy kid who loved fishing and being around his friends.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said the teen was found dead with obvious signs of trauma to his upper body after reports of shots fired around 2 a.m. Saturday.
They said someone was reportedly seen running from the area before law enforcement’s arrival.
Monday evening, the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested a 15- year-old boynear the 8100 block of Mazer Street in connection to Marquez’s murder. The teen was booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility.
Grieving friends remember Marquez as someone who always kept a positive attitude and a smile on his face.
“He was awesome, he was amazing,” said friend Jose Salazar. “He was just like a happy soul, there was like a glow around him like… like just pureness.”
The sheriff’s department said the suspect went to the same school as the victim, but the circumstances and motive behind the shooting are still under investigation.
“It's like another senseless death with another gun on the streets, in the hands of our children, our babies. There's two lives, two young lives have been destroyed, two families have been destroyed, friends have been hurt by this,” said Coach Anthony, who coaches junior varsity football at Mt. Miguel High.
“Omar came to Mt. Miguel as a freshman, not a lot of football experience but eager to learn,” he said. He tells us Omar joined the team and was thrilled to continue on. Training for the next season started Monday. “I went to practice yesterday and a lot of the players they surrounded me because they knew how close me and Omar were,” he said. “I'm still shocked. We had high expectations for Omar, we really did.”
While loved ones seek justice and try to understand why this would happen, they say they'll be keeping Marquez's memory alive.
“Long live Omar,” said Salazar. “I'm living for him for him now.”
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330 or by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
