Suspects held in slaying of USC students

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LOS ANGELES, May 19 (UPI) -- The signal from a victim's cellphone led investigators to suspects in the slaying of two USC graduate students, Los Angeles law enforcement sources said.

Citing sources, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday one of two suspects arrested late Friday had taken a cellphone from one of the victims in the April 11 slaying of Chinese students Ying Wu and Ming Qu, and detectives located the suspect by tracking signals from the phone. The newspaper said investigators also identified a signal from another cellphone near the one taken from the victim, and the other phone turned out to belong to a suspect.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck late Friday announced the arrest of Bryan Barnes, 20, and Javier Bolden, 19.

Citing police sources, the Times said investigators suspect Barnes shot and killed the victims, both 23. The sources said ballistics test indicate the gun used in the April 11 slaying has been used in at least two other attempted slayings.

"Early on, forensic evidence made us suspect quite strongly that this was a part of a series of crimes committed by the same men," Beck said.

Barnes and Bolden were being held without bail Saturday.

The parents of Ying Wu and Ming Qu said in a wrongful death suit filed in Los Angeles the university provided misleading information about safety on campus and in its neighborhood, the Times reported Thursday.