An 18-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old high school football star, police have confirmed.
Jonathan Castelan, 18, was taken into custody by law enforcement on Monday in connection with the horrific July 10 attack near Potrero School in El Monte, California that left Rosemead High School standout Aziel Zacapala dead.
Emergency responders rushed the young athlete to a nearby hospital shortly after an altercation escalated, but medical staff were ultimately unable to save him.
Two other young men were also left wounded during the chaotic street fight, which has devastated the local community and sent shockwaves through the high school.
Investigators with the El Monte Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spent nearly two weeks tracking down leads before arresting Castelan in nearby South El Monte.
The suspect was officially booked at the Industry Sheriff’s Station on Monday, with prosecutors swiftly filing a formal indictment against him as detectives continue to piece together what triggered the deadly encounter.
Aziel Zacapala, 15, a high school football player, was fatally stabbed during a fight outside a Los Angeles area elementary school earlier this month
Zacapala was described as ‘a beloved nephew, friend, son, and high school football player’
Castelan has now been formally charged with one count of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Grieving family members and teammates have remembered the 15-year-old varsity star as far more than just a gifted athlete with dreams of playing at the highest level.
The uncle, Daniel Aguilar, described Zacapala as ‘a beloved nephew, friend, son, and high school football player/great friend.’
‘Aziel was a good kid, full of promise and kindness, and he had big dreams of making it to the big leagues as a football player,’ Aguilar added.
The uncle said that less than a week before the fatal stabbing, Zacapala had been spending time at his high school’s Fourth of July event with his football friends, who referred to him by the nickname ‘AZ.’
‘His dedication to his sport and his positive spirit inspired everyone around him, and his absence leaves a deep void in our family and community,’ Aguilar said.
Zacapala’s uncle revealed he had ‘dreams of making it to the big leagues as a football player’
Zacapala had two younger siblings, including a newborn, according to his uncle. The teen is pictured with his younger siblings and a third loved one
The teen’s death has devastated his mother, who is raising two younger siblings, including a newborn. She is also unemployed and has been doing Instacart deliveries ‘just to stay afloat,’ the uncle said.
‘As a father of three myself, I cannot begin to imagine the pain my sister is experiencing,’ he added.
Zacapala was killed less than a week after another student-athlete football player was found dead in Mississippi on July 6.
In that case, 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells had gone missing on July 4th after enjoying a boating day with friends, and his body was discovered after a two-day, multiagency search.
