Arcadia Teen Girl Shot Dead by Boyfriend Who Then Shoots Himself After Fleeing to Pasadena

A teenage girl was shot dead in Arcadia on Thursday morning by a man she was dating, authorities stated. The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Paul Anthony Cruz Jr., fled to Pasadena, where officials stated he shot himself as police prepared to contact him.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stated that Cruz had 'forced entry' into the Arcadia residence before the fatal shooting. A caller alerted police that a man inside had fired a gun, but he had left by the time officers reached the property.

The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity has not been released, while conflicting official statements leave the suspect's condition unresolved.

Arcadia Police Respond to Morning Call

Officers were dispatched to the 800 block of West Huntington Drive at around 11am, according to the Arcadia Police Department. They discovered the girl suffering from a gunshot wound.

'When officers arrived, the man had fled the scene, and officers discovered a juvenile female suffering from a gunshot wound,' the department stated in a news release.

Authorities identified the victim as a teenager and confirmed that she and Cruz had been in a dating relationship. The police statements did not specify her age or explain what preceded the alleged forced entry.

Eyewitness News described footage from the apartment complex in which part of a glass balcony door appeared shattered as investigators worked at the property.

Witness Describes Arcadia Suspect's Arrival in Pasadena

The investigation extended to South Arroyo Parkway and East Glenarm Street in Pasadena, where police cordoned off a parking lot near a Petco and other businesses following the second shooting.

Michael Amini, manager at Alliance Auto Body Works on South Arroyo Parkway, stated that he was working across the street when it happened. He described the neighbourhood as 'pretty busy', with several people witnessing the incident in daylight.

Amini recalled that the suspect parked in the Petco car park before walking towards the pavement. After the shooting, he saw the man lying face down and estimated that police arrived about 'five seconds' later.

Workers at the nearby auto shop also stated that they heard a shot and ran outside, where they saw officers approach a person to handcuff him.

The Sheriff's Department stated that Cruz shot himself as Pasadena Police Department officers were preparing to contact him.

Conflicting Updates on Arcadia Suspect's Condition

Pasadena city spokesperson Lisa Derderian placed the discovery of the wounded suspect at about 12:30pm on Thursday. She stated that he was transported to hospital in critical condition.

The Sheriff's Department also described him as critically injured at about 7pm that evening.

However, Eyewitness News attributed a different statement to Derderian, who indicated that the suspect had died after being transported. The same coverage noted that sheriff's officials continued to describe him as critically injured and that confirmation of his death was still being sought.

His death therefore cannot be treated as established on the information available. The discrepancy concerns his condition after hospital transport, rather than the girl's death, which Arcadia police confirmed at the residence.

Arcadia police placed the homicide investigation with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Homicide Division. The case remained under investigation on Thursday.