STANWOOD — An 18-year-old man was arrested Tuesday afternoon in connection with the killing of a former Mariner High School soccer all-star.

The suspect, from the Everett area, was expected to be booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of first-degree murder, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

Detectives declined to release any additional details about his capture or if other arrests are likely. The man is expected to make a court appearance today.

Meanwhile, family members on Tuesday confirmed that Nick DeSimone, 19, of Everett, was the person who was killed.

His family had not yet been told how the teenager died, his mother, Evie DeSimone, said, Tuesday morning.

The south Everett family was busy making funeral arrangements and asked to be given time to grieve.

“He was a real nice kid. He was really friendly and enjoyed being around people,” said Mike Moore, the athletic director at Mariner High School, where DeSimone graduated in 2006.

The teen played soccer at Mariner and later played at Edmonds Community College.

His father, Vince DeSimone is the boys soccer coach at the high school. DeSimone’s older brother and sister also played soccer.

“They’re a great, loving family,” Moore said. “They’re very passionate. Nick was almost the quiet one in the group. He was friendly with everyone. He was easygoing.”

Detectives from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office early Monday were called to a home in the 19300 block of 96th Avenue NW, Hover said.

A girl in her late teens told detectives she awoke to find that her boyfriend wasn’t breathing, Hover said. The girl called 911. DeSimone was dead when police arrived.

There were obvious signs of trauma to the body, Hover said.

Detectives have released few details about the investigation. The killing doesn’t appear to be random, Hover said.

Friends of DeSimone gathered Monday night at Mariner High School to remember their friend. A makeshift memorial was created with messages written in chalk and spray paint.

In September, Nick DeSimone and his brother, Michael, visited a roadside memorial to their friend Tyrone Davis. The brothers were driving in a car near Martha Lake on Sept. 10, when Davis, 19, lost control and struck a tree.

The brothers received minor injures. Davis died.

For Nick DeSimone, Davis was like a big brother.

“He always wanted us to succeed in what we do,” Nick DeSimone said at the time.

For many people, the young man killed Monday also was like a brother. On MySpace pages, friends remembered the Everett teen.

On one page, a friend who said he was from Florida wrote of love and loss.

“My brother Nicky DeSimone, I love you, man,” the friend wrote. “I wish I could have seen u one last time, or at least talked to u. I miss u already, bro. Rest in peace.”

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.