Man arrested in fatal drive-by shooting of 8-year-old Pomona boy

Pomona police on Sunday arrested a man on suspicion of killing an 8-year-old boy in a drive-by shooting last month.

Sengchan Houl, 35, was taken into custody just before noon and was being held in the Pomona City Jail in lieu of $2-million bond, according to the Pomona Police Department.

Police said additional details about Houl’s arrest and the investigation into the killing of Jonah Hwang would be released Monday.

Jonah was with his parents and brother at a family friend’s home for dinner on Feb. 20 when a gunman pulled up to the residence and opened fire. The boy was fatally struck in the head, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

A neighbor in the 1100 block of West 11th Street, Justin Armijo, said he heard a car speed off after gunshots.

No one else was injured, police said.

Jonah had been adopted about three years ago from an orphanage in Taiwan, according to a statement released by his parents, Jonny and Karen Hwang.

“He had an infectious smile and loved everyone and everything: sports, wrestling with his dad, running, laughing, superheroes,” his parents said. “Jonah was a light and joy in our household and we cannot imagine our family without him.”

Sandi Hwang Adam, who said Jonah’s parents are her cousins, started a fundraising page to help cover costs of the boy’s funeral. The campaign had a $10,000 fundraising goal, but as of Sunday evening, it had collected nearly $60,000.

Jonah’s parents said they would devote the additional funds to creating a scholarship fund for the children of Pomona in memory of their son.

“We hope that Jonah can continue to be a beacon of light in this city, and that he won’t be forgotten because of the love of so many people that have made his light shine as brightly as the person he was,” his parents said.

Times staff writer Sonali Kohli contributed to this report.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

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