Police Charge Teen With Murder Of Woman Killed During Robbery

CHARLOTTE, NC — A 15-year-old male is behind bars and charged with murder after he was arrested at his home overnight in connection to an armed robbery that turned fatal earlier this week in an apartment complex near The Plaza. His arrest marks the third for the crime.

Maria Eduvigig Echeverria de Gomez, 36, was shot and killed shortly after 6 a.m. April 3 during an early morning armed robbery in the parking lot o Vista Village apartments located in the 6200 block of Barrington Drive in east Charlotte. The victim was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with life threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital by medical staff.

Witnesses told WSOC that Echeverris de Gomez was waiting for her brother, Angel Echeverria, to pick her up for work when the robbery occurred. She was shot less than 40 yards away from him, he told the station. “I saw when they shot her,” he said. “We were crying, trying to bring her back but she was unresponsive.”

SEE ALSO: Police ID Woman Killed During Armed Robbery In East Charlotte

In initial reports, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police indicated they were looking for at least two male suspects who fled the crime scene.

In an April 5 statement, CMPD homicide detectives said they found the juvenile suspect, who was identified by evidence collected during the investigation, at his home. Following an interview at CMPD headquarters, he was charged with murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. Due to his age, police are not releasing his name.

He is being held at a juvenile detention facility, according to CMPD.

The juvenile’s arrest came hours after police arrested Antonio Darnell Shine, 19 and A’vone Williams, 17, on April 4 in connection to the crime. Shine and Williams have also been formally charged with murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, and have been transferred to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.

Photos courtesy of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office