Background: Detectives identified the suspect in Briana Soto’s murder walking in the vicinity before the shooting (Long Beach Police Department). Inset left: Troy Lamar Fox (Long Beach Police Department). Inset right: Briana Soto (Long Beach Police Department).
A man found guilty of fatally shooting a 17-year-old girl on her way home from work and later attempting to kill four others weeks afterward has been handed the maximum sentence permitted.
Troy Lamar Fox, 34, was sentenced on Thursday to 358 years to life in prison, the Los Angeles County District Attorney”s Office announced.
In March, he was convicted forthe first-degree murder of Briana Soto in Long Beach, California.
Soto was on her way home from her McDonald’s job on March 26, 2024, around 8:30 p.m. when she was gunned down near 11th Street and Lewis Avenue in the city, as reported by the Long Beach Police Department at that time.
The victim had just finished a phone call with her mother and was so close to her house that her mother heard the gunshots that took her life, police stated, as reported by the Long Beach Post.
Her mom called her daughter back, according to CBS News, but a man answered, and she could not understand what he was saying.
Soto was hospitalized after the shooting in critical condition, Law&Crime previously reported. She died three days later.
Police released surveillance footage of the person they identified as the shooter walking in the area in the minutes leading up to the shooting.
Surveillance footage revealed what looked like an individual wearing all black with a masked face. Detectives suspected the shooter fled immediately after discharging his weapon, and they believed the suspect and victim were strangers.
Approximately two weeks later, on April 9, 2024, a gunman attacked a vehicle containing three minors and one adult on the 1300 block of Pine Avenue in Long Beach. Later, after nearly three months, on July 7, 2024, officers reported responding to 4th Street and Pine Avenue, where they found Fox and a minor unlawfully in possession of six firearms.
In September, while Fox was already in jail, detectives were able to secure an arrest warrant for Soto’s murder. Police also charged him with attempted murder for the other shooting.
Authorities described the sentencing as “a step toward justice.”
“Briana Soto had her whole life ahead of her — she was getting ready for her prom, her 18th birthday, and graduation,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. “Today’s sentence ensures the person who stole her future will never be free to harm another innocent person. While this punishment cannot undo the pain he caused, it is a step toward justice for Briana, her loved ones, and our community.”
It is unclear what motive, if any, Fox had for the shooting. Prosecutors did not present one during his trial, the Long Beach Post reported.
Fox had prior convictions for attempted robbery and making criminal threats.
