Two Arrested In Drive-By Shooting Death Of 7-Year-Old Alana Washington
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Two men have been arrested for a July drive-by shooting which killed seven-year-old Alana Washington and wounded three other people including a 1-year-old child.
Thursday morning Antonio Robinson, 22, stood before a judge as the charges were read.
"You have an arrest warrant where you're charged with second-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder," said the judge. "Just so the record is clear there are two minor victims, one is deceased and one was a year old."
The judge then ordered that Robinson be held without bond.
"For count one, second-degree murder, there's no bond. And counts two, three, four, and five, attempted murder, no bond."
The second man taken into custody for the shooting was 23-year-old Jarvis Flanders, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.
A records check shows Flanders-Baker was arrested in Georgia and was being held in jail to await extradition to South Florida.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle has scheduled a press conference for Thursday afternoon to release more details about the arrests.
The shooting Saturday, July 25th, just after 8 p.m., in front of a home in the 2900 block of NW 51st Street.
Niecey Drayton was returning from the Flea Market and had just parked her car outside the home when more than two dozen rounds were fired from a gray Nissan Altima that passed by.
"Alana was only seven years old getting out of a car. My grandson is only one year old," said Alana's mother Shanlavie Drayton at the time.
Shanlavie Dray is also the grandmother of the one-year-old who survived.
Alana, who was getting out of the car, was shot in the head. She was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where she was taken off life support two days later.
Drayton's grandson was shot in the thigh. Also struck were 23-year-old Cynthia Bloom and 24-year-old Demetriel Rice, according to the Herald.
Police said the gunmen targeted an adult at the home, not the children.
Surveillance video from the Flea Market showed Robinson and Flanders-Baker shortly after Drayton left.
A witness told police that when the Altima was approaching Drayton's car, she saw Baker-Flanders lean out of the passenger side window and shot at them, according to the arrest warrant. The witness said she recognized Baker-Flanders because she has known him for years. She also identified Robinson as the man who was with him at the Flea Market.
Police have not said who the Baker-Flanders was shooting at or why.
Police tell CBS4 that anonymous tips helped track down the suspects, but they're not saying much more.
Alana's mom told CBS4 shortly after the murder how shattering it is to lose her little girl.
"I can't describe the pain," she said. "I can't describe the sleepless nights, I can't describe the hurt. Alana was a little girl with a smile that would brighten the room."
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Freddy Ramirez said this about the case, "I'm disgusted, I'm saddened...and I know that the outcome of this case will never bring total comfort to the mom."
