Florida murder suspect arrested in Valdosta
Published 5:16 pm Thursday, September 10, 2020
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VALDOSTA — A man wanted in a child murder case in Miami, Fla., was arrested Wednesday in Valdosta, authorities said.
Jarvis Baker-Flanders, 23, of Homestead, Fla., was arrested when he went to the Lowndes County Courthouse to answer a minor local charge, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said Thursday.
“We received information from the U.S. Marshals Service that he was here,” Paulk said.
Baker-Flanders was wanted in connection with a July 25 shooting incident in Miami that left Alana Washington, 7, dead and three other people wounded, Florida court records show.
The victims were returning home from a flea market and were in their car in front of their house when the occupants of a Nissan Altima drove past and opened fire, the records show.
Alana Washington died of a gunshot wound to the head, a warrant affidavit showed.
Surveillance video from the flea market showed the Altima as it followed the victims’ car in the market’s parking lot, the affidavit said.
One of the victims identified the suspect, court papers say.
Baker-Flanders was convicted in 2015 for robbery carjacking, according to court documents.
The arrest warrant for Baker-Flanders listed charges of second degree murder with a weapon, attempted first degree murder with a deadly weapon, shooting or throwing a deadly missile, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.