An 18-year-old Greenfield man has been arrested in connection with the shooting deaths of two teenagers at a beach in Moss Landing earlier this week, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office announced.
Donald William Breeden was taken into custody on Thursday after investigators served two search warrants, one in Greenfield and another in King City. The first warrant was executed in Greenfield at about 3 p.m., where three people were detained. A second warrant followed in King City around 6 p.m. The sheriff's SWAT unit, a special response unit and California State Parks assisted in carrying out the operations.
Breeden was arrested on two counts of murder along with street gang enhancements. He was booked into the Monterey County Jail, where bail was set at more than $2 million.
The shooting unfolded just before 2 a.m. on Nov. 2 along Jetty Road. Deputies who responded found two victims who were pronounced dead at the scene. A third victim arrived at a hospital suffering from a gunshot wound, and a fourth was taken to a local hospital with injuries that officials said were not life threatening and were not related to the gunfire.
A day after the violence, a reporter at the scene saw women's shoes, alcohol containers, red party cups, glow sticks and a speaker scattered across the sand, the apparent leftovers of a party. One witness said they had been at the gathering and that everyone ran when the shooting started.
The two teenagers killed were identified as Nathaniel Flores, 13, and Marco Antonio Perez, 15, both of Salinas and both students in the Salinas Union High School District. An online fundraiser described Flores as a member of the Steinbeck Tigers Youth Football and Cheer organization, and said he would have turned 14 on Friday.
Superintendent Zandra Joe Galván shared news of the students' deaths in a letter to the community, writing that she made the announcement with "profound sadness and heavy hearts."
A sheriff's office commander described the beach shooting as rare for the area. On Friday, Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto thanked community members who stepped forward with information that aided detectives.
"Our detectives have been working tirelessly to determine what led to the tragic deaths of these two young victims," Nieto said. "While an arrest has been made, our work is not over. We continue to ask the public for their assistance as we seek justice for Nathaniel and Marco Antonio and their families."
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Officials have not disclosed a motive for the shooting.
