3 charged in girl’s shooting death
Youngster was victim of a dispute between the suspects and her mother, officials say.
Three people were charged Tuesday with murder in the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old girl who was the victim of an ongoing dispute between the suspects and her mother, according to the San Bernardino County district attorney.
Anthony Pitts, 26, of Adelanto; Reyna Mercado, 28, of San Bernardino; and Danielle Cummings, 29, of Apple Valley also are facing one count each of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, according to the district attorney’s office.
They were arrested last week in connection with the death of Makiya Walls, who was gunned down inside her Victorville home.
“Once again, we have an innocent child caught in the crossfire,” Dist. Atty. Mike Ramos said in a statement. “A young life taken away far too soon.”
Authorities said Makiya was inside her two-story home just before 8:30 p.m. Aug. 9 when Pitts, a gang member, walked up and fired several shotgun rounds into the house.
Makiya was struck and later died at a hospital.
San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said last week that Makiya was not the intended target. Investigators learned there was a brewing feud between Makiya’s mother and Pitts, Mercado and Cummings, he said.
Investigators said that the dispute had been going on for the last several months and that there had been an argument between both sides on the day of the shooting.
Authorities declined to release details about the dispute.
During the investigation, authorities arrested Makiya’s mother, 35-yearold Maesha Lundy, and her mother’s boyfriend, 34-yearold Christopher Hicks, in connection with threatening calls made to Cummings and her family.
The Sheriff’s Department said the threats were credible.
But Christopher Lee, a district attorney spokesman, said prosecutors declined to file charges against Makiya’s mother and her mother’s boyfriend “due to insufficient evidence to prove guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”