Another Student Arrested in Shooting Death at Party : Crime: Teen-ager is ninth suspect in November drive-by incident that also wounded two. Investigators believe the attack was rooted in a rivalry between two ‘party crews.’

GARDEN GROVE — Police on Monday arrested another teen-ager in connection with a November drive-by shooting outside a birthday party that left one student dead and two others wounded.

Kaimana Keoki Cortez, 18, of Huntington Beach became the ninth person suspected of participating in the killing of Cesar Torres, 15, soon after Torres and two other friends left a birthday party Nov. 5 in the 17600 block of Faye Avenue, Lt. John Woods said. The two friends who accompanied Torres were each shot in the leg, according to police.

Cortez was arrested at Ocean View High School, where he is a student, Woods said. He remained at the Orange County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy.

Eight others, including five other teen-agers from area high schools, were arrested about two months ago in connection with the killing and are awaiting trial, Woods said. They are Ruben Delgado and Anthony Vergara, both 18, of Garden Grove and six juveniles ages 16 to 17 from Garden Grove, Stanton and Huntington Beach.

Police identified the suspects through witness statements and evidence seized through search warrants. Further investigation of the case led police to Cortez, Woods said.

Investigators believe the shooting was rooted in a rivalry between two “party crews,” which are loosely knit groups of youths who gather for weekend parties at homes or warehouses. Usually, these groups are less violent and territorial than traditional gangs, police said.

But longtime differences finally erupted in violence in this case, police said, when gunmen in two cars opened fire on Torres and his friends. Torres, a sophomore at Garden Grove High School, was touted by friends, teachers and an employer as hard-working and conscientious.