The Chattanooga Police Department announced on Friday that three men believed to be involved in the Brainerd Tunnel shooting that led to a fatal crash are now in custody.
D'Avonte Wofford, 21, was arrested Thursday by Chattanooga police near East Brainerd Road following a tip on his location, according to a Friday news release.
"He was arrested on outstanding warrants related to the death of Tekeia Clay, a Chattanooga woman who died as a result of injuries sustained in a vehicle crash at 3400 Brainerd Road in June," Assistant Chief Jerri Sutton said in a Friday release. Sutton said Wofford was also arrested on additional drug-related charges as a result of evidence found at the scene of his arrest.
Also in custody is Roderick Quatel Bates, 19, who was arrested July 21 after he surrendered to police while they were serving a fugitive warrant at a residence in the 6200 block of Shallowford Road, according to an affidavit from the department.
Bates, is facing one count of first-degree felony murder, one count of vehicular homicide, one count of reckless aggravated assault, one count of leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, failure to render aid and driver failure to exercise due care, according to Hamilton County Criminal Court records.
Wofford, according to a poster from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, was wanted on charges of first-degree felony murder, vehicular homicide, reckless aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene, reckless driving, failure to report an accident, failure to render aid and driver failure to exercise due care.
The first arrest in connection with the incident was of Vicent Kennedy, 18, who was indicted on July 19, on felony murder charges.
As previously reported by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Clay, 49, who worked at the Bursar's Office of Chattanooga State, was on her way home from a church event, according to a friend, when her Honda was impacted by a white pickup truck involved in a shooting through the Brainerd Road tunnel on June 28.
Clay was ejected from her vehicle after it impacted the protective pillars in front of the Jay Price Bonding Company offices. She died 11 days later. Her co-workers at Chattanooga State organized a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.
Wofford is being held at the Silverdale Detention Center; bond has yet to be set on his case.
Bates is being held at Silverdale with a $535,000 bond and is due to appear before Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Don W. Poole on Oct. 5.
Kennedy is also being held at Silverdale on a $525, 000 bond. During his first court appearance in late July, Kennedy and his mother said they had yet to hire an attorney. He is due to appear before Poole on Sept. 9.
Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan.