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A Santa Cruz woman and her boyfriend were arrested on murder charges following a deadly shooting on the San Lorenzo River levee, police said Wednesday. An argument between two homeless men escalated Tuesday morning until one man pulled out a gun and fired, Deputy Police Chief Rick Martinez said. The gunman and an accomplice fled the scene before officers arrived at 8 a.m. The victim had been shot in his upper torso, and he died at the scene. Police identified the suspected killers as 27-year-old Nino Ruiz and 31-year-old Jenessa Kic. The couple was arrested four hours after the shooting while they were leaving a home on Liebrant Avenue. Ruiz was booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on one count of murder. Kic was booked on charges of conspiracy to commit a murder and murder. The gun used in the homicide has not been found, a motive remains under investigation, police said. People who knew the victim described him as a good friend, and said his first name was Joey. "Joey was a good guy. He cared about his friends. He cared about the environment that he lived in and he really was a funny guy," an individual who goes by L.B. said. "He was always a good dude. He's always been my friend. I don't know what they could have been arguing about, to be honest," said Jonah, who did not provide a last name. Joey's death was the second homicide of the year in Santa Cruz. Bicyclists and pedestrians who use the levee path were detoured around crime scene tape Tuesday. "(You) see a lot of people down here, some nefarious activity at times, but this is the first time there's been any kind of death down here. It's kind of shocking," said Garrett Mooney, who lives in Seabright. "I mean, I got a little scared. I was ready to close our doors, lock them up and go home, but I'm supposed to be here," said Alina Osborne, who works nearby.