Police revealed new details on Monday in the tragic, unsolved murder case of a young Pasadena boy that they hope might bring them closer to finding the suspect responsible.
On the evening of Nov. 20, 2021, 13-year-old Iran Moreno Balvaneda was playing video games in his bedroom when gunfire erupted outside his home. One stray bullet went through the walls and struck the boy.
Family members told KTLA that Iran collapsed in the living room and his father held him in his arms as they awaited an ambulance. Iran was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Iran was a straight-A student at Blair Middle School, his family said, where he was in the eighth grade. He loved basketball and soccer, and was described by relatives as friendly.
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Iran Moreno, shown in this undated photo, was struck and killed by a stray bullet on Nov. 20, 2021. (Pasadena Police Department) -
Suspect’s image in the shooting death of 13-year-old Iran Moreno. (Pasadena Police) -
Suspect’s vehicle in the shooting death of 13-year-old Iran Moreno. (Pasadena Police) -
Suspect’s vehicle in the shooting death of 13-year-old Iran Moreno. (Pasadena Police)
Preliminary reports and security footage from that night showed a gray Ford Fusion stopped in a parking lot across from the boy’s home, located in the 900 block of Raymond Avenue, and the front passenger got out and fired two gunshots eastward, with one hitting Iran. He then got back in the car, and it drove off. Police said they do not believe Iran or anyone else inside the home was the intended target.
The Pasadena Police Department continued to investigate the murder in the days and weeks that followed, and rewards of up to $85,000 were offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction, but with little success.
At the time, the only suspect description was that the shooter was a man wearing a gray-colored hoodie or long-sleeved shirt, and that the sedan was estimated to have been manufactured between 2017 and 2020.
However, on Monday, police said newly enhanced surveillance video revealed a clearer description of the shooter, and a partial license plate number from the Ford Fusion: QJ117.
According to the police department, the suspect is described as a Black man estimated to be 33 to 37 years old, standing 6 feet to 6 feet and 1 inch tall, and weighing between 185 and 195 pounds. In addition, investigators identified the distinct hooded sweatshirt he wore as a red and black North Face brand.
Homicide investigators ask that anyone who may have information regarding the murder or the identity of those depicted in the composite sketches contact Pasadena Police at 626-744-4241 24/7 or Homicide Investigators at 626-744-4583.
To report anonymously, contact “Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or use the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
