A third man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Jamahri Sydnor.
James Mayfield, 18, of Northeast is the third suspect charged in connection with the teen’s death.
Jamahri, a Woodrow Wilson High School graduate and college-bound teen, was shot in August, just days before she planned to enroll at Florida A&M University. She was struck in the crossfire of a shootout while driving her car on Saratoga Avenue in Northeast.
Mayfield appeared in D.C. Superior Court the day after his arrest last week. The judge called him an extreme danger to the community and refused his request to be released on his own recognizance.
Mayfield is also been charged with fatally shooting Jermaine Bowens, 38, on Dec. 26 in the 2200 block of Douglas Street NE and Elijah Henry, 21, in the 1800 block of Bryant Street NE on Dec. 27.
Police said the same .40 caliber pistol was used in all three shootings.
Mayfield, who is also a person of interest in three armed robberies in Northeast, had been on the run since October, police said.
“When someone is trying not to be found, they can be very difficult to find,” said D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham. “It is my understanding that Mr. Mayfield has actually changed his appearance somewhat from the photographs that were released.”
Police arrested Mayfield Wednesday, Dec. 27 after responding to an attempted armed robbery in the 3100 block of Berry Road in Northeast.
“We have an 18-year-old in the last several months that we think is responsible for three homicides and we don’t know how many robberies,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “So we have a person who has really in a lot of ways terrorized the community and we want to send a strong message to any victim of crime, any person who would commit robberies in our city — that our detectives and police officers and community members want to live in safe neighborhoods and they are going to work to make sure that we have safe neighborhoods.”
Two other men have been arrested in connection to Jamahri’s murder.
Police arrested Robert Moses, 18, of Northeast on Oct. 27 and charged him with first-degree murder. Phillip Carlos McDaniel, 21, of Northeast was charged in August with assault with intent to kill.
Mayfield is charged with three counts of first-degree murder while armed, one count of attempted robbery and carrying a pistol without a license. He is next scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 11.