14-year-old accused of fatally shooting Beaver Falls mother to be charged as adult

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. — Police said two 14-year-old boys were arrested Tuesday night in connection with the shooting death of a Beaver Falls mother.

Investigators said Marcus Velasquez and another boy were taken into custody by U.S. marshals around 10 p.m. in Beaver County.

Officials said Velasquez shot and killed 22-year-old Kayla Peterson after she told them to "get a job" when they asked her fiancé for a cigarette outside her home on Dec. 8. Velasquez has been charged as an adult.

The other boy was taken to a juvenile facility.

Investigators said the teens were on the run for more than a week. Police said a photo of the boys posing with a gun on Facebook hours after the shooting helped lead to their arrests.

The boys were found in a Beaver Falls home on 34^th Street and were arrested without incident.

Peterson leaves behind a fiancé and a 1-year-old daughter.

"I think Kayla is up in heaven shining a little brighter today because they were caught, and as long as justice prevails. that's the important thing," said Peterson's fiancé. William Bailey. “Now I can go outside. It makes me feel better without wanting them running up or giving anyone else problems.”

WPXI