Authorities said a 20-year-old man who had been dating the girl forced his way into the residence before fleeing to Pasadena.
ARCADIA, Calif. — A 15-year-old girl was fatally shot inside an Arcadia home Thursday after authorities said a 20-year-old man she had been dating forced his way into the residence and opened fire before fleeing to Pasadena.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the teenager Friday as Mina Kurdian. Authorities identified the suspected shooter as Paul Anthony Cruz Jr., 20. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the two had been in a dating relationship. Some reports described the relationship as having ended, but authorities have not publicly provided a detailed account of its status immediately before the shooting.
Arcadia police were called shortly after 11 a.m. Oct. 22 to an apartment complex in the 800 block of West Huntington Drive after someone reported a disturbance and gunfire inside a residence. Officers arrived after the man had left and found Kurdian suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said no other injuries were reported at the Arcadia residence.
The Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau took over the investigation. Authorities said Cruz had forced his way into the residence before the shooting, but investigators have not publicly released a detailed account of what happened immediately before the gunfire. No motive had been announced as of Friday, and officials had not disclosed whether an argument or another event preceded the shooting.
After leaving Arcadia, Cruz traveled several miles west to Pasadena, according to investigators. Pasadena police located him about an hour after the fatal shooting near South Arroyo Parkway and Fillmore Street. Authorities said officers were preparing to contact him when he suffered what investigators described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Cruz was taken to a hospital. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and multiple local news organizations reported Friday that he remained in critical condition. An earlier account from a Pasadena official indicated that he had died, but subsequent reporting citing sheriff’s officials said he was alive and hospitalized. The later information was consistent across several reports Friday.
The two shootings led to separate investigations in Arcadia and Pasadena. Homicide detectives worked at the apartment complex where Kurdian was killed while Pasadena officers processed the scene where Cruz was found. Investigators were working to establish the timeline between the shooting at Kurdian’s home and the encounter with police roughly an hour later.
Kurdian’s identity was initially withheld because she was a juvenile. The county medical examiner publicly identified her Friday. Officials have released few personal details about the teenager, and investigators have not disclosed additional information about the circumstances of her relationship with Cruz beyond confirming that the two had dated.
Authorities have also not publicly explained how Cruz allegedly entered the residence or released evidence establishing why Kurdian was targeted. Reports from the scene indicated damage near an entrance to the apartment, but investigators have not released a complete reconstruction of the entry or shooting. The Sheriff’s Department has described Cruz as the suspect while the homicide investigation remains open.
No criminal charges had been publicly announced against Cruz as of Friday. His medical condition could affect when investigators are able to take further steps in the case. Authorities have not announced a court date or other criminal proceeding, and no judicial finding has been made concerning the allegations against him.
The Sheriff’s Department continued investigating Kurdian’s death Friday as Cruz remained hospitalized in critical condition. A motive remained unknown, and officials had not announced when additional investigative findings or information about possible charges would be released.
Author note: Last updated October 23, 2026.