Pasadena police arrest 911 caller in student death

A California 911 caller is under arrest after Pasadena police say his false armed robbery report led officers to shoot and kill a 19-year-old college student they believed to be a suspect.

Pasadena Police Chief Philip Sanchez told reporters Wednesday that a deadly chain of events was set into motion after officers responded to a 911 call claiming a laptop had been stolen by two armed men.

Caller Oscar Carillo repeatedly told officers that two suspects were armed with handguns on Orange Grove Boulevard at Raymond Avenue.

The phone call put officers on alert and led them to believe Kendrec McDade was armed when they saw him about two blocks from that location Saturday night, Sanchez said.

"The actions of the 911 caller set the minds of the officers," Sanchez said.

McDade ran from officers until an officer used the police cruiser to block McDade's path in an alley and rolled down his window, Lt. Phlunte Riddle said.

McDade allegedly made a motion at his waistband and the officer opened fire. A second officer who was chasing McDade on foot also opened fire, Riddle said.

McDade, who was less than 10 feet away from the patrol car when the officer opened fire, died of his injuries at Huntington Hospital. The Citrus College student was a football standout at Azusa High School.

Detectives said in an interview Monday that Carillo lied to police about the gun to speed up their response. Detectives now believe McDade and the other person were unarmed, Riddle said.

No laptop or weapons were ever found, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The other suspect has been charged with two counts of commercial burglary, one count of grand theft and one count of failure to register as a gang member as a condition of his probation. He remains in custody.

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