USC Murder Suspects Arrested NR12229an

May 19, 2012

Los Angeles:  Los Angeles Police Department Criminal Gang Homicide Division detectives arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of USC students.

On Friday afternoon around 4:30 p.m., LAPD detectives arrested two men responsible for the killing of USC graduate students Ming Qu and Ying Wu, who were gunned down in their vehicle in the early morning hour of April 11, 2012.  Armed with arrest and search warrants, investigators from the LAPD Criminal Gang Homicide Division teamed up with federal agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as they moved in on two locations where the murder suspects were living.

The arrest teams descended upon a residence in the County of Los Angeles south of the USC campus around 4:30 p.m.  Investigators and agents surrounded the residence and soon took the first of two suspects into custody without incident.  Now in custody and under arrest for the murder of Ming Qu and Ying Wu, was 20 year-old Bryan Barnes of Los Angeles.  Barnes was arrested and transported downtown where he was ultimately booked for 187 PC, Murder.

Immediately following Barnes’ arrest, the arrest teams boarded two awaiting helicopters and flew out to the City of Palmdale, where the second location was under surveillance by additional members from LAPD.  The teams hit the ground around 7:30 p.m. and soon, surrounded and called out the second of the two murder suspects, Javier Bolden, a 19 year-old resident of Palmdale.  Bolden was taken into custody without incident and transported back to Los Angeles where he too was booked for murder.  Bolden and Barnes were booked into the 77th Street Jail where they will be held without bail.

Like many homicide cases this was one that had the full attention of the Los Angeles Police Department.  “I am proud of my investigators who worked tirelessly on this case” said Chief Charlie Beck.  “This was a case that reverberated throughout Los Angeles as well as internationally; this was a case that needed to be solved”.

The investigation will continue as investigators prepare the case to be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for filing.  We are ever grateful to our federal partners who provided their support as we moved forward with this investigation.  The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work with the University of Southern California in a cooperative effort to strive for public safety in and around the campus and throughout the community.

Anyone with information is asked to call Criminal Gang/Homicide Division, Detective Dave Garrido 213-485-1383. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone.  All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.”  Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.