Two teenagers have been charged with the murder of 42-year-old Long Beach man Christopher Waters, whose body was found April 23 in a burned out SUV in Rancho Palos Verdes.

The second of the two suspects, 18-year-old Jose Angel Martinez of Compton, was arrested Wednesday, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department stated:

He was booked on suspicion of murder and jailed in lieu of $1 million bail, sheriff's officials said.

On April 27 a 17-year-old walked into the Long Beach Police Department and might have — allegedly — confessed, according to our reading of a sheriff's statement. He was arrested and sent to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, deputies said.

The murder took place in Long Beach and then Waters' body was driven to Rancho Palos Verdes, where it was set on fire, apparently while inside the SUV, investigators and prosecutors indicated.

The 17-year-old, later identified as Andrian Beruman, attends Long Beach Polytechnic High School, according to a source. He turns 18 next month.


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The District Attorney's complaint against the suspects charges each with murder and arson.

The Los Angeles Times reported that detectives think the victim was doing graphic design work for the suspects' silk screening business when an argument broke out and led to violence.

We reached out to a sheriff's investigator but had yet to hear back.

Over the weekend services and a memorial reception were held for Waters, according to a friend of the family.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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