Police have arrested a teenager in connection to the fatal shooting of a Ventnor City grandfather.
The boy was arrested on suspicion of ambushing and shooting to death 61-year-old Sunil Edla outside his home on 6 N. Nashville Ave. Thursday night. The grandfather was getting ready to leave for work when he was gunned down and had his car stolen.
The 16-year-old suspect, an Egg Harbor City resident, was charged with first degree murder, unlawful possession of a handgun and carjacking, among other crimes, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Police found Sunil Edla's 2002 Subaru Forester on the 1600 block of Sewell Avenue in Atlantic City, and used surveillance video from around the city to track the suspect down.
The boy was arrested without incident on the 1500 block of Sewell Avenue and is being held at the Harborfields Juvenile Detention Facility.
A preliminary autopsy showed that Sunil Edla died of multiple gunshot wounds, the county prosecutor's office said.
"I'm just speechless right now," said Morrison Edla, the victim's son. "They could have just taken the car and let him go."
A neighbor said the killer ambushed the 61-year-old and shot him dead right after the grandfather had brought a child into his house.
Brian Wells said he viewed surveillance video of the ambush that showed the teen riding up to the home. The boy dropped his bike and hid as he waited for Sunil Edla to exit the house, Wells said.
"[Sunil Edla] went upstairs, came back down," Wells said. "The guy walked right over, popped him in the head, got in the car and left."
Relatives say the grandfather was excited about an upcoming trip to India to celebrate his mother's 95th birthday.
Instead, loved ones must now plan his funeral.
