16-year-old suspect charged in Dalton slaying

Friday, June 20, 2014

photo A man was shot to death in Dalton, Ga.

The Dalton Police Department has arrested 16-year-old Endy Becerra on a charge of felony murder related to Wednesday night's shooting death at 214 Easterling St.

Two other men are wanted on murder warrants, police said. Investigators determined that drugs were involved in the slaying.

About 11:40 p.m. Wednesday, Dalton officers were dispatched to a call of a shooting on Easterling Street.

When officers arrived, they found Abel Carmona, 20, lying on the ground in the parking lot of the apartments.

Carmona was being attended to by his friends Marcus Soto and Roberto Lopez, who were trying to stop his bleeding from a gunshot wound to his chest. Carmona was unresponsive and was later pronounced dead at Hamilton Medical Center. Officers secured the crime scene and began interviewing witnesses.

Witnesses told officers that the shooter fled in a small dark- colored sedan.

Dalton detectives determined that Carmona went to the apartments on Easterling Street with Soto and Lopez to buy a large quantity of marijuana.

Something apparently went wrong during the deal, leading to the shooting.

Lopez, 20, of 124 Montrose Way, was later arrested after investigators determined that he lied to them during his interview.

Detectives worked throughout the night and into the day Thursday with the assistance of the GBI and investigators with the Chatsworth Police Department and the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force that includes officers from the Murray County and Whitfield County Sheriff's offices and the Calhoun Police Department.

Information developed led detectives to Becerra.

Investigators said Marquis Dequan Tanner, 20, of 110 Mallory Drive, and Tywon Jay Henderson, 17, of 1300 Autumn Court, were with Becerra at the meeting on Easterling Street when the shooting happened.

Both are wanted on warrants for felony murder. Investigators have not determined who shot Carmona.

Anyone with information about this incident or the whereabouts of Tanner or Henderson is asked to contact Detective Jason Bishop at 706-278-9085, ext. 214.

Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.