Police: Mom took murder suspect son to Arizona kin

With all the suspects in custody, police are releasing more information in the Feb. 13 death of 42-year-old Willie James Hammond in DeKalb County.

A third suspect in the case, Taveyon McNeill, 19, arrived at the county jail last Monday, after a tipster notified police he was in Arizona.

Ha m mond was found shot at an apartment outside Lithonia. Police say the three suspects wanted Ham- mond’s PlayStation 4 video game console, money and a gun.

DeKalb police also are releasing new information about how they caught up with McNeill.

Police believe the suspect’s mother, Arnez McNeill, 46, drove her son to the home of a relative in Phoenix in May and asked if the teen could stay there.

Police said the relative was perplexed, having not seen the mother and son in a while, and got curious.

The relative searched t he internet and found that Taveyon McNeill was wanted in Hammond’s homicide.

Police soon got a call from the relative and Taveyon McNeill was arrested to await extradition to DeKalb.

Investigators charged Arnez McNeill with making false statements for allegedly lying about where her son was, police said. She’s out on bond from the DeKalb jail and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Taveyon McNeill is charged with murder, along with co-defendants Javien Evans, 17, and Tamorris D’Tron Tyler, 26.

All are in jail. Arnez McNeill

PHOTO BY SHANNON COFRIN GAGGERO By Joshua Sharpe