Police arrested three suspects involved in last week’s murder of 16-year-old Arnesha Bowers, one of 10 women dead due to violent crimes in Baltimore within the last three months.
Two of the defendants told officials that a gang initiation lead a them to stalk, kidnap, rob, rape, burn and kill the City College high school student who was home alone on June 7. After firefighters responded to a fire at Bowers’ Eastern Parkway home on that night, they discovered the teen’s body. Further investigation ruled her death as a homicide. The Baltimore City Police Department found evidence pointing to Adonay Dixon and Johns Childs and arrested the two June 11.
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Dixon and Childs’ confessions lead police to their third suspect. The BPD then brought in 14-year-old Raeshawn Rivers twice to give his account of the what happened. Deputy Commissioner Kevin Davis announced the arrest of the ninth-grader at Wednesday’s press conference. Officials will try Rivers as an adult because of his heavy involvement in the crime. Police say Rivers confirmed that the crime was indeed a gang initiation so that one suspect could become a part of the gang while another would be promoted.
The three men, and possibly another as police work towards a fourth arrest, entered Bowers home while her grandmother was at work. Police said that Bowers and the three suspects have hung out together frequently, with Rivers being the closest to the victim.
Officials connected the suspects to the Bloods. CBS Baltimore reported that it was a specific subgroup of the gang, drug organization Tree Top Piru. Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said on the June 11 press conference that 11 members of TTP have been indicted and eight arrested for crimes within the community. However,the BPD have not found any gang initiations similar to the death of Bowers.
“Our investigation is never over. We’re gonna move heaven and earth to hold them responsible,” said Davis.
Photo Credit: WBALTV