Cliffton Kamal Styles is accused of committing a murder on March 12 in the Wilshire Vista community. (photo courtesy of the San Marcos Police Department)

A male suspect who allegedly shot and killed a man walking a dog near Genesee Avenue and Saturn Street on March 12 has been arrested in Texas and charged with murder, police said.

Los Angeles Police Department investigators said the suspect, Cliffton Kamal Styles, 21, of San Marcos, Texas, randomly targeted the victim, who was shot near his home around 5 a.m. on March 12 by a suspect in a gray vehicle. Investigators found security camera footage showing the car, which police determined was a gray 2020 Ford Fusion with temporary tags from Texas. They traced the vehicle to Styles, who was taken into custody on April 27 with the help of police in San Marcos, which is located between San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Styles on April 27 with one count of murder.

Investigators with the LAPD’s West Bureau Homicide Unit said Styles may have been suffering from mental illness. They did not provide a motive for the homicide.

Investigators said prior to the murder, Styles drove from Texas to Florida, then across the country to Los Angeles. Police did not give a timeline for his travel and did not divulge why Styles was in the residential neighborhood where the murder occurred.

After Styles allegedly shot the victim, the suspect drove to San Diego before returning to San Marcos, police said. Authorities are looking into whether Styles may have been involved in other violent crimes in Los Angeles and locations around the country.

The victim, Marco Sandoval, was shot near his home in the Wilshire Vista area, just southeast of Fairfax Avenue and Pico Boulevard. His dog returned to the residence on its own. A passerby found Sandoval lying on the ground at approximately 6:15 a.m. and called 911. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Styles was booked in Texas on a murder warrant and faces extradition back to Los Angeles. Anyone with information about the homicide or other crimes potentially linked to the suspect is urged to call LAPD West Bureau Homicide detectives at (213)382-9470. During weekends and off-hours, call the LAPD’s hotline at (877)LAPD247.