Police remain tight-lipped about the arrest of a 15-year-old in connection with the death of his 16-year-old stepbrother, but the victim's mother has not been holding back on social media.
On Monday morning, police were called to a home near 5000 West and 5400 South, where they found a 16-year-old boy dead from a gunshot wound to the head. After initially calling it a “tragic accident,” police later announced that they had arrested the 15-year-old on Thursday. No other information was released because of his age.
Authorities have not released the name of the victim, but family members have identified him as Jerrad Jacobsen. And his mother, Theresa Toledo, has called out the 15-year-old suspect — whose name has not been released — for intentionally killing her son through a series of Facebook posts. She said the shooting was no accident.
She says that her son’s back was turned when the stepbrother shot him in the head and then tried to stage the scene to look like an accident.
“I want the whole world to know my baby didn’t accidentally shoot himself playing with a gun. He knew better," she posted.
In another post, Toledo wrote that there is “nothing more heart-breaking than finding out that your baby died until you find out their brother did it."
A candlelight vigil was held outside Jacobsen’s home Thursday night. A fundraiser seeking donations to help pay for the teenager’s funeral, which is set for April 2, has been set up on Facebook.
