2 arrested in 9-month-old baby’s fatal shooting in Merced

MERCED, Calif. (AP) — Police in central California have arrested two people in last week’s killing of a 9-month-old boy who was fatally shot while sitting in a stroller being pushed by his mother, authorities said.

Daevon Motshwane, 18, was arrested Thursday at a motel in Gilroy, 90 miles (145 kilometers) west of Merced, where 9-month-old Darius King Grigsby was killed in a drive-by shooting on Nov. 9, the Merced Police Department said in a statement.

The boy’s mother was pushing the stroller down a sidewalk and walking with a male friend when a car drove by and one of the occupants opened fire, striking the child, police said. They said the mother’s friend was the intended target.

Motshwane, of Merced, was arrested on murder, attempted murder and several gang enhancement charges, the department said. It was not immediately known if has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Earlier this week, detectives found an SUV used in the drive-by shooting after it was caught in numerous surveillance cameras as it fled the scene and they were able to identify its license plate, police said. They also arrested a 17-year-old boy in Merced who they say was driving the vehicle when the child was killed.

The 17-year-old was booked into juvenile hall for murder, they said.

In a statement to KFSN-TV, the baby’s mother, Monica Ayala, thanked investigators.

“My son lost his life and never got to walk on his own, it wasn’t fair that the people responsible were walking freely,” Ayala added.