Foster dad glad for bust in teen’s gun slay outside PAL
A Bronx foster father was grateful Friday for the capture of a suspect in the fatal shooting of a teenager under his family’s care.
“It’s good news. It’s been a long while coming. We’ve been waiting for them to get him,” Howard Campbell told the Daily News of the arrest in the Jan. 19 shooting death of Josue Lopez-Ortega, 15.
“We have so many kind things to say about Josue,” Campbell said. “We’re glad. But it’s hard because we don’t want to live it all over again.”
Jamir Scarbro, 20, was taken into custody in a Charlotte, N.C. home on Wednesday, authorities said. He was arrested by a U.S. Marshals task force.
Scarbro is accused of killing Josue outside the PAL South Bronx Center. A 16-year-old boy was also shot in the leg in the incident.
Campbell said he didn’t recognize a picture of Scarbro.
Josue, the 16-year-old wounded boy, and several other people were leaving a basketball game at the PAL facility on Longwood Ave. near Fox St. in Longwood at about 8:50 p.m. on Jan. 19 when a gunman hopped out of a Jeep and shot three rounds into the crowd.
Josue was hit in the head, and fell to the pavement. The wounded teen managed to stumble around a corner away from the gunfire, sources said at the time.
Josue, who lived in Laconia, died the following day at Lincoln Hospital, with his foster mother by his side.
“He was a nice loving boy. He left for school at noon and said ‘See you at 7:30, be safe,’ ” his foster mother, Natalie Campbell, recounted at the time. Former teachers described Josue as a “good kid.”
Scarbro remained in custody Friday night at the Mecklenburg County Jail in Charlotte. It was unclear when he would be extradited to the Bronx.