LAPD Detective Says 15-Year-Old Killed Pop Smoke to Steal His Diamond Watch
Written by SOURCE on May 10, 2021
In a testimony on Friday, a Los Angeles Police Department detective said a 15-year-old pulled the trigger in the fatal shooting of Pop Smoke last year, with the aim of stealing his diamond Rolex.
The New York Daily News reports that the intruder who killed Pop after breaking into his Airbnb was the youngest of the five suspects arrested last year. The suspect’s name was not released because of his age, but he allegedly confessed to being the killer during a recorded conversation with a cellmate at a juvenile detention center. The testimony came during the preliminary hearing for another one of the suspects, 20-year-old Corey Walker, who is the only adult defendant of the five arrested in connection to Pop’s murder.
“He admitted that he shot the victim three times with a Beretta 9 (mm.),” detective Carlos Camacho testified per the NYDN. In addition to admitting to being the one who pulled the trigger, the 15-year-old allegedly “admitted that they asked for the jewelry,” which led to “a confrontation” with Pop during the early hours of Feb. 19, 2020. “They got into a fight, and he shot him three times,” Camacho added, noting that the suspects took his diamond-studded Rolex. “He said he shot him on the back.”
Prior to the revelation that a 15-year-old was the shooter, LAPD detective Christian Carrasco gave a detailed breakdown of the series of events. Corey Walker has been charged with murder and robbery, and is facing the death penalty if convicted. The other three underage suspects have been charged with murder and robbery as well. In a separate recorded interview behind bars, Walker confessed to using ski masks, gloves, and a police scanner.
“He said that when the individuals got inside, the suspects confronted (Pop Smoke), who was in the shower naked,” Camacho said in court on Friday (May 7). The detective added that Pop was still wearing his jewelry while in the shower. When the suspects demanded his jewelry, Pop attempted to fight back and “rushed” the teens, before he was “pistol whipped,” kicked, and shot three times by the 15-year-old suspect.
The defense for Corey Walker has argued that he was merely the driver on the night of the crime, and should be considered “a principal in robbery” because he was not inside the house prior at the time of the shooting. However, Walker had allegedly scouted out the house just before the home invasion took place.
