Teen wanted in Lawndale youth's death surrenders
A teenager who sheriff's deputies said accidentally killed a friend from Lawndale while playing with a gun, has turned himself in.
James Kempski, 17, ran after the June 2 shooting in Bellflower. He reportedly put his friend, Carlos Arturo Vela, 17, in a trash bin outside the home, panicked and ran.
Sheriff's Lt. Dan Rosenberg said Kempski turned himself in "a few days ago." He is in custody on suspicion of murder.
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Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
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How quickly it goes from "accidental" to "suspicion of murder." This poor kid and his family are going to be spending the next year not knowing his fate while the DA's office prosecutes him, I'm beginning to question the priorities of these prosecutors. Do they get off on ruining young people's lives?
If that was your son, you would not be focusing on the priorities of the prosecutors. The "poor kid's family" and Carlos's family both are suffering. The young boy ruined his own life by picking up the gun.
at that age you don't play with guns. this was no accident.
this was not an accident. carlos is gone from us now because of something that james did. if it was an accident they would not have put carlos in the garbage and he would not have hid. accidents happen but not like this. he was shot in the head, that was no accident. his family had to have a closed casket because of the entry. james needs to pay for this.
In response to annonn: you obviously do not see the pain that this boy has caused an entire community of people. Hundreds of people are mourning Carlito's death. This was supposed to be one of Carlito's close friends who shot him in the head, left him in a trash bin and fled police. A friend would never do what I just described. Accidents happen, but if it had been an accident, James would have been begging Carlito's family, everyone, for forgiveness. He would have already explained what happened, in detail, trying to elucidate the ambiguities and uncertainties so that everyone knew he didn't mean to kill his friend.
You're damn right I hope he gets prosecuted. He's a murderer and a coward. Prosecutors are not messing young peoples' lives up. Young people, like James, are messing up their own lives and the lives of other young people and their families around them.
I hope they don't back down from this scumbag, and I hope annonn realizes how ignorant their comment sounds.
Accident my ass.
Accident yeah right , he deserves everything that is coming for him ! i hope he has long years of suffering and pain! Everyone needs tooo QUIT sounding so ignorant and OPEN there eyes!
REST IN PARDISE !
CARLITOS you will always be missed !♥♥♥
i will always rember you just like evryone else!
you ment sooooooooooooooooooooo much to alot of people! Ue sister CHristina misses you sooo much ans lil simon your , Mom everyone is waiting for you to come home or the day we can see you again
!
Accident yeah right , he deserves everything that is coming for him ! i hope he has long years of suffering and pain! Everyone needs tooo QUIT sounding so ignorant and OPEN there eyes!
REST IN PARDISE !
CARLITOS you will always be missed !♥♥♥
i will always rember you just like evryone else!
you ment sooooooooooooooooooooo much to alot of people! Ue sister CHristina misses you sooo much ans lil simon your , Mom everyone is waiting for you to come home or the day we can see you again
!
how you guys know if it was done purposely or not, even Aida said on NATIONAL TV that this was an accident, James would never do something stupid in his own house, why wasn't Carlos at his home where he was suppose to be, Aida i believe she is in pain because she never treated her son right, who gets high with their kids??????????????
r.i.p carlitos ily♥
always&4ever=]
I'll never 4get you
Maybe it wasn't an accident, maybe James did kill Carlos on purpose. Anyways this message is for Christina Carlos's sister, please becareful who your REAL friends are! Alyson - NO GOOD! She was talking to James the whole time he was on the run offering him a place to hide. And she sits there and claims to miss and love Carlitos?! A REAL friend wouldn't do that
James was stupid for putting him in a trash can bin,and this comes from some one who loves James. He should have thought about Carlos if it was an accident and called some one for help. If he panicked and i know he did just like any one would in his situation he should have contacted some one. I know lots of people are hurt by this death but both Carlos and James should have never been playing with guns, it was both his and Carlos fault for this wrongful death. lets not be ignorant about that. Accident or not he should be prosecuted for this, he took away a life. and if it would have been carlos that killed james that night i would want the same that all of you ask for. one thing i know is that he cared about carlos enough to turn himself in. there is no point in denying it. i know james is tormented enough with carlos's death. he dreams every night about it. and sees his body where he should never thought of putting. how panicked was he? i'm sorry for your loss. and i hope james learns his lesson. i just know it wasn't his intention. i believe it was a game and since both knew the consequences then it was no accident. but james wasn't trying to murder no one.
Carlos, we miss you so muchh, its almost been 2 years and i still cant qet over the fact that your gone. christina, aida and your whole family are so strong for getting through this. i love you. -melissa.