Arrest made in connection with murder of 3-year-old in Charlotte, police say
Police on Friday announced the arrest of a 21-year-old man in connection with the killing of 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa.
Asiah was asleep when 150 rounds of bullets were fired into his family’s northwest Charlotte home Tuesday.
Qua’Tonio Stephens was charged on Wednesday with accessory after the fact to murder and felony flee to elude, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police. Stephens was arrested, according to a CMPD news statement, after police stopped his vehicle during a pursuit on Interstate 85 in Charlotte.
The shooting death of the child has been under investigation since late Tuesday but it’s unclear what led officers to Stephens or to stop his car Wednesday. Police said only that they obtained “reasonable suspicion” to stop Stephens “from information gathered.”
Stephens, according to CMPD, also was charged with seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling in connection with gunfire at a home on Joe Morrison Lane, hours before Asiah’s death.
According to police, Asiah’s death, the fatal shooting Sunday of a teenager and several recent gunshot attacks on Charlotte homes, including on Joe Morrison Lane, are all believed to be related to disputes among students at Hopewell, North Mecklenburg and Chambers high schools.
Child killed in drive-by shooting
Family members said Asiah was shot in the head. Police said the child later was pronounced dead at Atrium Health.
Susie Whitley, the victim’s great-grandmother, told WBTV that she knew her home was under attack when she heard gunshots hitting her front door. She said her granddaughter began screaming that Asiah had been shot and that she was trying to call 911.
“When I went into his room, my grandson was in there, was holding him, and he said, ‘Grandma, I think he’s gone.’ I didn’t want to believe it.”
Asiah’s 4-year-old sister was grazed by a bullet but will recover, police Chief Johnny Jennings said at a news conference.
“For the rest of her life, she has to realize that she was in the house when her 3-year-old brother was senselessly murdered and taken away from this earth,” the chief said.
Appearing at the same event, Mayor Vi Lyles said Asiah lost his life “because we can’t figure out how to live together.”
“If we can’t figure this out for a 3-year-old, for whom will we do this for?” she asked.
Shooting under investigation
CMPD pleaded with the community earlier this week — especially parents and students at the three schools — for help in finding the child’s killers.
“Parents of kids at these high schools, what we need from you is we need you to be as outraged as we are about this,” police Capt. Joel McNelly said at the news conference Wednesday. “This is where your kids go to school, these are the people that your kids are around, and we need your help.
“You should know whether or not your children were at home the last few nights. If your children were not at home the last few nights, overnight, we need to know that.”
McNelly also urged parents to pore through their children’s rooms, their phones and their social media pages for clues.
“We need that to solve the murder of 3-year-old Asiah,” he said.
The shooting that led to the toddler’s death erupted at around 11:45 p.m. in the 2400 block of Richard Rozzelle Drive, a line of single-family homes southwest of Rozzelles Ferry Road and N.C. 16.
Videos from neighbors’ security cameras show multiple cars pulling up in front of a house, then pummeling the residence with dozens of bullets before slowly driving off.
Investigators said other shooters remain at large.
Police urged anyone with information to call the CMPD homicide unit at 704-432-8477 or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
This is a developing story.