Authorities in California say the 16-year-old boy accused of stabbing his 17-year-old friend to death was one of the individuals who volunteered to search for Jeremy Sanchez earlier this week.

According to Fox News, the suspect is accused of stabbing the victim repeatedly before ditching the body in the woods near a river in South El Monte.

The unnamed teen showed up to join a search party in the Los Angeles suburb on Wednesday. Police say it was the suspect and another friend who reported finding Sanchez’s remains.

“The person who killed him is the one who said, ‘Look, there here is,'” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. John Corina said.

Police say the deceased teen’s father put together a group of locals to look for him when he did not show up to school.

It is unclear from available reports how police identified the other teen as a suspect.

Corina said investigators were still attempting to establish a motive for the brutal murder. The suspect and victim had reportedly been close friends prior to the stabbing.

“This person kills his friend and then acts like, ‘Oh, I’ll go out and try to find him,'” Corina said. “It is almost like he was trying to throw everyone off.”

According to police updates, the 16-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday following a search of his home.

Initial reports did not include additional details.

At the time of the suspect’s arrest on suspicion of murder the suspected murder weapon had not yet been recovered.

[Featured image: Jeremy Sanchez/Facebook]