A second person has been charged with murder in the July shooting death of Ivan Solis which prosecutors allege was gang-related.
Nicholas Colletta, 20, of Saugus, was named as one of two people charged with murder in a felony complaint filed Monday by prosecutors with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Shortly before 11:45 a.m. Thursday, detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Homicide Bureau arrested 24-year-old Jaqueline Arreola, of Newhall – described in the arrest report as 4-foot9 and 95 pounds – has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Both Colletta and Arreola are alleged to have willfully and deliberately, with premeditation, murdered 25-year-old Ivan Solis on July 11.
On the morning of July 11, about 5 a.m., the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s 911 center received a report of gunfire near Abelia Road and Via Gardenia near Soledad Canyon Road near Shadow Pines, Lt. Doug Mohroff told The Signal at that time.
Responding units discovered a male Hispanic adult dead from an apparent gunshot wound at Begonias Lane Park between Begonias Lane and Abelia Road.
Solis died of multiple gunshot wounds as the result of a homicide, Lt. David Smith of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner told The Signal Friday.
Prosecutors allege in their complaint that Colletta shot and killed Solis and that he shot the man for “the benefit of, at the direction of, and in association with a criminal street gang.”
Lt. Rodney Moore of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Homicide Bureau described the relevance of the Solis shooting to gangs as “some sort of gang nexus.”
Although homicide detectives are looking for no other suspects in the case, “more work is to be done,” Moore told The Signal Monday.
Colletta, identified by prosecutors as a convicted three-time felon, faces other charges that include possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon and carrying a loaded firearm in a public place.
Arreola faces an additional charge of being an accessory after the fact – specifically with knowledge of a crime and that she did “harbor, conceal and aid” Colletta.
On Feb. 9, 2016, Colletta was convicted of three felony counts, all of which pertained to weapons offences, including: carry a loaded firearm in a public place; make or lend a leaded cane and carry a concealed knife.
Arrest records show Colletta was arrested five times since he turned 18 two years ago.
Before moving to Saugus, Colletta lived in Valencia near Terry Miller Memorial Park.
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