A Compton man has pleaded no contest to murder for the shooting death of his 9-year-old autistic son outside the home of the boy’s grandfather.
Nicholas Jones, now 34, was immediately sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison following his plea Wednesday, which included admitting an allegation that he was armed with and used a weapon during the commission of the crime, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Jones was charged in the Nov. 30, 2024, killing of his son, Princeton, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The boy died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to records from the county medical examiner’s office.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were sent to the 15000 block of South Haskins Avenue, in the unincorporated area just outside Compton “regarding a gunshot victim call,” according to a statement subsequently released by the sheriff’s department.
Detectives subsequently identified the boy’s “biological father” as a suspect, sheriff’s officials said.
Jones was arrested the next day and has remained behind bars since then, according to jail records.
On a GoFundMe page established to help the family with funeral services, relatives wrote that Princeton was “a truly special young man with a brilliant mind and a warm heart.”
“Diagnosed with mild autism at the age of 2, Princeton worked tirelessly with the loving support of his mother and began speaking fluently by the age of 5,” according to the family. “Princeton was a beacon of joy, lighting up every room he entered with his humor and infectious smile. He was adored by his friends, family and community, who all cherished the incredible person he was becoming.”