Arrest Made in Case of Woman Killed at MARTA Bus Stop

A Lithonia man charged with fatally shooting a woman while she waited at a bus stop is also a suspect in several other cases of assault and sexual assault.

Christopher Oliver Merritt, 18, was arrested and charged with murder in the death of Marcaysia Dawkins, 19, Merritt’s family told WSB TV. Merritt’s family told the TV station they extend their condolences to Dawkins’ family.

Merritt, of Lithonia, was arrested Friday without incident, officials said during a Monday press conference at DeKalb police headquarters.

Dawkins was a recent Lithonia High School graduate who worked at a child-care center and planned to join the Navy. She was shot and killed Nov. 23 at a MARTA bus stop at 5900 Fairington Road when the suspect appeared to struggle with Dawkins over her purse.

She was found by police critically injured on the bench at the bus stop, reports WSB TV.

Dawkins was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where she died a few hours later, according to the medical examiner’s office, reportsExaminer.com.

In addition to murder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Merritt was charged with three counts of rape, three counts of armed robbery, one count of aggravated sodomy, one count of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated sexual battery and three counts of false imprisonment.

Some of the lesser charges cover crimes in DeKalb County that date back to 2013, the newspaper reports, and include at least four victims.

While both the suspect and victim lived in Lithonia, police told the media there is no evidence they knew one another.

»PHOTO: Screenshot via WSB TV of Marcaysia Dawkins and surveillance video of shooting.