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13-Year-Old Suspected In Teenager's Murder

CARMICHAEL (CBS13) — A bizarre homicide case in Carmichael now has a 13-year old behind bars, accused of killing a 16-year-old.

It happened at around 1 p.m. on Sunday on the 4400 block of Manzanita Avenue. The Sacramento County Coroner has identified the victim as 16-year-old Zachary Whittington of Sacramento County.

Sacramento County Sheriff's detectives are still searching for a motive.

Residents in a fairly quiet Carmichael neighborhood questioned why there was a shirtless and shoeless young boy sitting on a curb.

"He seemed to know the drill fairly well. He immediately dropped to his knees," said one neighbor who wished to remain anonymous.

This woman tells CBS13 what she heard moments after Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies pulled up to the 13-year old boy, who turned out to be the suspect of a homicide less than a mile away.

"He put his hands up and said 'I'm not armed, don't shoot me,'" the neighbor said.

The witness says she saw the boy point to the garbage bins in front of a home. She says she later saw a deputy retrieve a handgun from one of the bins. Deputies say they believe that gun was used to kill Whittington minutes earlier at the apartment complex on Manzanita Avenue.

"We're not sure where exactly he got the gun but we don't believe he gun was obtained by legal means," said Sgt. Shaun Hampton of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

But the relationship between Whittington and the suspect isn't yet clear.
Hampton says the two boys were acquaintances. The suspect and his family have a lengthy criminal record in Sacramento County, involving gun and drug possession charges.

Detectives say they also believe the 13-year-old suspect has ties to the Norteno street gang.

A 16-year old killed in cold blood, his alleged killer is just a child.

"He looked like a normal kid to me," said the neighbor.

The young boy is facing charges of possessing a firearm and murder.
The Sacramento County District Attorney says children under 14 have special protections and cannot be tried as adults.

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