Police arrest 3 others in shooting death of 13-year-old Freeport boy

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Friday, April 28, 2017
Additional arrests made in Peppermint Park shooting
Police have made three additional arrests in the apparent Russian roulette death of a young boy.

FREEPORT, Texas (KTRK) -- Freeport police arrested three more people in the death of a 13-year-old boy who was shot earlier this month at a Freeport park.

Police said Leslie Jaime, 35, a 13-year-old and 14-year-old have been arrested in connection to the shooting that happened on April 19.

Police arrested another 14-year-old the day after Juan Borja was shot.

Investigators said Jaime and three juveniles broke into a trailer home being used as a storage facility in the City of Jones Creek where the suspects stole several firearms, which included the gun used in the shooting.

Authorities have recovered 14 of the firearms -- including revolvers, a rifle and a shot gun -- but they believe more are still missing. The firearms belonged to a gun collector.

Borja, an eighth grader at Freeport Intermediate School, was killed while he was at Peppermint Park.

At 1:05 p.m. Thursday, police took a 14-year-old suspect into custody. He has been charged with manslaughter and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

Police say Borja, the suspect and other juveniles were hanging out at the park when Borja pulled out a gun, loaded a round of ammunition and made a comment about playing Russian roulette. It is not clear how the suspect got a hold of the gun.

The suspect pointed the gun at Borja, and fired it once, hitting Borja in the chest, killing him, according to police.

Police say the 14-year-old later hid the gun in a field. Investigators have recovered the weapon.

Jaime was charged with two counts of burglary of a building, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by felon and one count of theft of property.

The two juveniles have been charged with three counts of burglary of a building. The 14-year-old who was arrested earlier this month has also been charged with three counts of burglary of a building.

Jaime is in the Brazoria County Jail on a $125,000 bond for all five charges. Meanwhile, the three juveniles are in the Brazoria County Juvenile Detention Center.

A spokesperson with Brazosport Independent School District sent ABC13 this statement:

"BISD is mourning the loss of one of our Freeport Intermediate students at this time. Our hearts are broken by this loss, and we extend our deepest sympathy to family and friends. Our District Crisis Intervention Team and other staff will be providing counseling services as needed for the students and staff members impacted by this tragedy.

If your child is struggling dealing with a difficult loss, please encourage them to seek help from a caring adult. Each Brazosport ISD campus has counselors available for our students. Do not hesitate to contact your campus counselors, administrators, or the Brazosport ISD Office at (979) 730-7000 if your child needs any assistance."

ORIGINAL STORY: Police 13-year-old boy fatally shot at Freeport Park

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