The murder suspect arrested in Newhall was sought by SCV Sheriff Station deputies for the July 11 shooting death of 25-year-old Ivan Solis. The suspect, J. Arreola was detained and held in lieu of $2 million dollars bail.
The alleged murder occurred in the early morning hours of July 11, 2017 when someone reported what sounded like gunfire to the SCV 911 operator. The gunfire took place near Abelia Road and Via Gardenia near Shadow Pines in Canyon Country. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Solis already dead due to multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Detectives have been investigating ever since.
Murder is covered under California Penal Code 187 PC and is described as the unlawful killing of a person or fetus with malice aforethought. The definition seems pretty clear, but the wording requires a little more description. Every time a person is killed, it is considered a homicide, but not every homicide is considered a murder. Some killings are justified (self-defense or the defense of others) and some killings are unintended or otherwise non-aggravated (manslaughter). When a killing is deemed a murder, “malice” must be involved.
For the purpose of PC 187, for “malice” to be involved in a killing, one individual doesn’t have to possess any ill will toward the victim, or even know them. What “malice” in this instance refers to is “malice aforethought,” which is defined as “with wanton disregard for human life, [a defendant] does an act that involves a high degree of probability that it will result in death.”
The penalties for murder will depend on whether or not the person is charged with murder in the first or second degree. For first degree murder, the sentence includes 25 years to life in prison. For second degree murder the possible penalty is 15 years to life in California state prison.
