Police release new details after another suspect in Lakaria Moore killing surrenders
Police on Friday announced an additional arrest in connection with the May killing of an 18-year-old woman. Jermaal Riggins, 37, is in custody following his arrest Friday morning in connection to the homicide investigation of Lakaria Moore, according to a statement from Lubbock police.
Riggins is charged with tampering with or fabricating evidence. Riggins surrendered to investigators without incident at 10:55 a.m. Friday following the issuance of an arrest warrant on Aug. 2. A court document indicates Riggins is accused of tampering with blood evidence. Riggins’ arrest comes on the heels of the arrest of Tahdeejah Washington-Harris, 29, on Aug. 2, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit and the Texas Anti-Gang Center, following the disappearance and murder of Moore.
Investigating Lakaria Moore's killing
Moore was initially reported missing at 9:03 p.m. May 21 in the 2100 block of North Jayton Avenue. Her remains were found outside city limits on May 22 near North County Road 3000 and East County Road 6650. Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Christopher Carter, 40, the same day, and continued their investigation into multiple persons of interest."Over the course of the next couple of months, an array of various and wide-ranging tips were passed on to investigators regarding Carter’s location," reads the statement from Lubbock police. "However, many lacked detail regarding his exact location."
On Friday, police said a concrete and definitive tip through Crime Line was received at the end ofJuly, and on July 31, investigators with the Texas Anti-Gang Center received information pertaining to Carter’s location and proceeded to the Stadium Motel in the 4100 block of 19th Street around 10:30 a.m.
While surveilling, investigators attempted to have Carter exit the room he was in shortly before 1:40 p.m. At that time, a male exited the room, informing officers there was a deceased male inside. Upon entry, officers located the male, who is believed to have suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was later identified as Carter.
Police case against Jermaal Riggins
Through the course of the investigation, police believe that following Moore's killing, Riggins altered, destroyed, or concealed evidence with the intent to make it unavailable as evidence prompting his current charge. It was also determined Washington-Harris provided and aided Carter with the means to avoid his arrest, prompting the charges for hindering the apprehension or prosecution of a known felon, according to police.
According to court documents, investigators obtained a sworn statement from a witness who said Carter shot Moore in the front yard of his home and that blood evidence was cleaned from the inside, front entry way of the home, the Avalanche-Journal reported earlier this month.
Detectives found evidence at Carter's home that indicated he cleaned up evidence of Moore's slaying and fled.
Tahdeejah Washington-Harris is facing a count of hindering the apprehension of a felon, a third-degree felony that carries a punishment of 2-10 years in prison.
At some point as police surveilled Carter in the Stadium Motel, Washington-Harris left the motel room and officers followed her as she drove away, according to previous reports. The officers stopped her when she was far enough away from the motel and confirmed with her that Carter was in the room, according to a warrant for her arrest.
The investigation into Lakaria Moore’s death and the in-custody death of Carter are ongoing.
The police statement also elaborates on the department's efforts in the case, and addresses apparent concerns shared by members of the public on social media regarding the investigation.
The statement continues: "There are certain priorities in a murder investigation, and for the investigators involved in the case, Chris Carter was always the primary target in ensuring Lakaria and her family received justice," reads the statement from police. "From day one, investigators have continuously looked at persons of interest throughout this process. Investigating through interviews, to phone conversations, service of multiple search warrants, forensic examination of evidence, both digital and physical--all of which culminated in the issuance of the arrest warrant for Carter, obtained on the same day Moore’s remains were located, as well as the arrests of Washington-Harris and Riggins.As in all criminal cases, the elements of the offense must be met and probable cause must bedeveloped before a warrant can be issued and an arrest can be made. The investigative processof meeting that criteria takes time and is not influence by emotions but by facts and evidence.Following this, strict judicial process is required to ensure the strongest case possible. Manytimes, violations of the law do not come to light until later in the investigation, as was the casein the arrest of Washington-Harris on August 2nd as investigators were made aware of herinvolvement in hindering the apprehension of a fugitive on July 31st.While the Lubbock Police Department has heard the cries of the community for additionalarrests related to this homicide, we want to reiterate that we are committed to holding thoseaccountable who have committed such violent and heinous criminal acts within our jurisdiction.That accountability involves the arrest and prosecution of those individuals once aninvestigation is complete. The Department believes in the importance of a completeinvestigation ensuring a strong case to fully prosecute those who prey on innocent members ofour society. Unfortunately, oftentimes that investigative time frame cannot be defined."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Suspect in Lakaria Moore killing surrenders to Lubbock police
