Brothers charged over teen's murder after evidence dug up in backyard
Two brothers have been arrested on suspicion of killing a 16-year-old girl who vanished in Southern California last month.
Aranda Briones had not been seen since January 13 when she was dropped off at a community park in Moreno Valley so she could catch up with Owen Shover – a childhood friend who she had reportedly reconnected with recently.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said that evidence dug out of Shover’s backyard led investigators to believe Briones was a victim of homicide.
Shover, 18, has now been charged with murder, while his 21-year-old brother Gary has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Detectives would not elaborate on what was found in the brothers backyard but said they had “destroyed the timeline of events” that they Owen had provided.
Owen Shover, who was the person last seen with the teenager, told sheriffs that he had not seen her since he dropped her off at a park on January 13.
“We destroyed the timeline of events that he gave us… and replaced it with what we knew to be true based on video surveillance footage,” Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Vasquez said.
Briones’ uncle Matthew Horstkotte told local media last month that she had been known to fall in with the wrong crowds.
“She did have a bad choice of friends, I’ll be honest, you know everybody does,” he said.
“Everybody makes mistakes, but you know one thing I want? I just want her home safe.”
The investigation remains ongoing, with police confirming that they still have not located the teen’s body.
With Associated Press
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