A man has been arrested and charged in the killing of a 3-year-old girl who was shot last weekend in Southeast D.C., police said.
Charles Rucker, 24, of Southeast, was taken into custody Friday afternoon in Northeast and charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Honesty Cheadle, according to police.
“To Honesty’s loved ones, we know today’s news does not make you whole again. Nothing we can do will be able to fill the void left by Honesty’s passing, but we do hope that the arrest brings some measure of comfort to your family as you grieve,” D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said during a news conference.
The arrest comes about one week after Cheadle was wounded while sitting in a parked vehicle with her family, according to D.C. police.
Rucker is accused of walking up to the vehicle and firing multiple rounds, striking the toddler in the upper body in the 1000 block of 14th Street SE at around 3 a.m. Saturday, according to Assistant Chief Ramey Kyle. No one else in the vehicle was wounded.
Cheadle, of Southeast, was brought to the hospital in critical condition and died Monday.
Rucker allegedly left the scene on foot.
Earlier this week, D.C. police identified Rucker as a suspect and teamed up with the FBI to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the alleged shooter.
Police were able to get video that helped lead them to an arrest.
“That video, along with the assistance of D.C. Housing Authority police officers with knowledge of this community, helped identify Rucker as the sole suspect in this offense,” Kyle said.
Police couldn’t confirm whether there’s any relationship between Rucker and Cheadle’s family.
“While we know Rucker committed this shooting on his own, we do not know his motivation at this time,” Kyle said.
Both Smith and Kyle credited teamwork between D.C. police and federal partners in the investigation.
“It certainly proves today how those relationships are very, very important here in our city,” Smith said.
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