Officers arrest suspect wanted for fatally shooting Mid-City man walking dog in March
The suspect wanted in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred in early March, when a man walking his dog in his Mid-City neighborhood was randomly targeted and left on the street to die, was arrested in Texas after over a month of investigation.
The arrest was made on Wednesday in San Marcos, Texas, where 21-year-old Cliffton Kamal-Christopher Styles was charged with the murder of Marcos Sandoval, 52.
Sandoval was walking his dog at around 5:30 a.m. in his neighborhood on March 12, when he was fatally shot by Styles. Surveillance footage from the scene show Styles' vehicle pull up next to Sandoval before a couple shouts are heard, followed by shots fired.
Investigators believe that Styles may have been suffering from some sort of mental illness at the time of the shooting and that Sandoval's murder was random and unprovoked.
West Bureau Homicide detectives with LAPD and the FBI Fugitive Task Force coordinated with the San Marcos Police Department, who arrested Styles from his residence in San Marcos early Wednesday morning.
During the investigation they learned that Styles, driving his gray 2020 Ford Fusion, was traveling across the United States for an unknown reason. They were able to track his vehicle leaving San Marcos before traveling to Florida, where he then drove across the country to Los Angeles - where he would commit the murder on March 12.
He then drove to San Diego and finally back to San Marcos, Texas.
Styles was a standout high school football player in his youth, earning a spot on the San Diego State University football roster in 2019 and 2020.
He has been booked on the murder warrant and faces extradition back to Los Angeles.
Though Styles may be in custody, Sandoval's family is still left with plenty of questions, mainly trying to answer why their beloved patriarch was randomly targeted in this tragic incident.
"It's kind of scary," said Raymond, a man who lives in the same neighborhood. "That something so close and cold blooded occurred."
Since the shooting, he's one of the many neighbors who has been concerned for their safety even in day-to-day chores.
"I'm just astounded by that," Raymond continued after learning of Styles' erratic behavior leading up to the shooting. "You know, that he would drive all the way here to do some kind of crazy mess like that."
Investigators are also under the impression that he may have been involved in other acts of predatory violence during the extensive trip, and if anyone has any additional information, they are urged to contact West Bureau Homicide detectives at (213) 382-9470.
