Murder suspect Briana Soto arrested after California teenager shot and killed just steps from her family's home

A 34-year-old man suspected of killing a Long Beach teenager in March was arrested Friday.

Troy Lamar Fox was already in custody for another weapons offense when he was identified by Long Beach police as the suspect who shot and killed 17-year-old Briana Soto on her way home from work.

Soto was outside her family's home around 8:30 p.m. on the evening of March 26 when she was shot while talking on the phone with her mother.

The teenager's family heard the gunshots outside their home on East 11th Street and rushed her to the hospital, where she died of her injuries three days later.

The suspect was captured on surveillance camera footage shortly after the shooting. He was wearing dark clothing and a mask over his face.

Troy Lamar Fox, 34, suspected of killing a Long Beach teenager in March, was arrested Friday

Long Beach police examined DNA, video and cellphone evidence before identifying Fox as the suspect believed to be involved in two additional incidents on April 9 and July 7.

On April 9, officers responded to a call of a shooting in which a suspect, believed to be Fox, fired a firearm toward three juveniles and an adult in a vehicle.

On July 7, police arrived on the scene after firearms were found in a vehicle. During the incident, officers located Fox and a juvenile suspect and later learned that neither were in possession of firearms.

Two firearms were confiscated from the suspects and four firearms were found in the vehicle.

An arrest warrant was issued against Fox in November 2023 for violating probation.

Following the Soto investigation, detectives presented evidence to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge on September 11 and obtained an arrest warrant for Fox in the murder of the Long Beach teenager.

The suspect was captured on surveillance camera footage shortly after the shooting. He was wearing dark clothing and a mask over his face.

Relatives are still shocked by Soto's early death and remember the teenager as a friendly and lively spirit

On September 13, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested Fox and took him to the Long Beach Jail.

Fox is currently being held on $2 million bail.

“Briana Soto was only 17 years old when she was tragically separated from her family by a violent individual who was willing to commit such a reprehensible and brazen act of violence,” Police Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement after the arrest.

“This suspect has shown a willingness to harm others, and we will work closely with our partners across the criminal justice system to ensure Briana and her family receive the justice they deserve,” the statement continued.

His relatives are still shocked by Soto's early death and remember the teenager as a kind and lively spirit.

Angel Guevara, the victim's neighbor, told KTLA5: “We all know her. She was just a sweet girl. When I heard she died, I was very sad.”

Michelle Fierro, another neighbor, said, “It kind of made me more confident. I'm about her age. She was about to graduate high school, so I think her story really touched everyone around us.”

“It was her siblings who found her with her mother, so I can't even imagine what they must have been going through when they saw her lying on the ground like that,” Fierro continued.

The motive for the shooting is still unclear.