Couple arrested for murder in shooting death of 13-year-old Pasadena boy

Two suspects were arrested and charged with the death of a 13-year-old Pasadena boy who was killed by a stray bullet in 2021.

The couple was identified as Muhammad Abdul-Malik, 38, and Teraeja Flemmings, 31, according to the Pasadena Police Department.

On Nov. 20, 2021, Iran Moreno, 13, was playing video games in his bedroom when a gunman in a parking lot across the street fired two shots toward his home. One of the bullets went through Moreno’s window, fatally striking him.

Abdul-Malik then got into a getaway vehicle allegedly driven by Flemmings.

Family members say the boy collapsed in the living room, and his father held him in his arms as loved ones dialed 911. He was rushed to the hospital where he died from his injuries.

According to police, the boy was not the intended target. At the time, security footage showed the suspects’ vehicle stopping in the parking lot. Abdul-Malik is accused of stepping out of the car and firing his gun before getting back into the vehicle and fleeing the area.

Flemmings was reportedly the getaway driver, prosecutors said.

“Since that night, detectives from the Pasadena Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Unit have worked tirelessly to pursue leads and bring those responsible to justice,” authorities said. “Nearly four years after the tragic incident, the investigation culminated in the arrest of the two individuals involved in the murder of Iran Moreno.”

On July 11, 2025, detectives located and arrested Abdul-Malik in Orlando, Florida. Days later on July 16, Flemmings was arrested in San Fernando.

On July 18, Abdul-Malik was charged with one count of murder and the possession of a firearm by a felon, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed. He is being held on $3 million bail and remains in Florida awaiting extradition.

Flemmings was charged with one count of murder and is being held on $2 million bail.

Loved ones said Moreno was a straight-A student at Blair Middle School in Pasadena, where he was in the eighth grade. He loved basketball and soccer, and was described by friends and relatives as a kind child who “had a very bright future ahead of him.”

“Iran Moreno’s life was senselessly taken, and while nothing can undo that loss,” Pasadena police officials said. “We hope these arrests bring some measure of closure to his family and our community.”

“The violence that took this young boy’s life is not only tragic, but also unacceptable and criminal,” said L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. “No family should ever have to endure the heartbreak of losing a child under such horrific circumstances. While we cannot undo this tragedy, we will work tirelessly to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

If convicted as charged, Abdul-Malik faces 53 years to life in prison, and Flemmings faces 25 years to life in prison.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Antonella Nistorescu of the Major Crimes Division and was investigated by the Pasadena Police Department.

Pasadena detectives received assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, the U.S. Marshal’s Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, and personnel from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Pasadena Police at 626-744-4241. 

Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.