Teen helped sink vehicle in killing of Tacoma bagel shop owner, new court documents say
Arrest documents for the 16-year-old boy accused of killing a Tacoma bagel shop owner in January reveal that the teen allegedly helped others sink the vehicle that was used in the killing before stealing another car to get away.
Malik Cornelius pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a second-degree murder charge in the Jan. 5 killing of 32-year-old Jacob Carter. In an affidavit made public after his April 11 transfer to adult court, police say they linked Cornelius to the crime through surveillance footage and ballistics.
According to the documents, Cornelius was seen driving the blue Kia Forte used in the homicide around the French Quarter, including on Bourbon Street, about 10 minutes before he and others allegedly killed Carter at 1:30 a.m.
Another crime camera depicted the entirety of the shooting. A blue Kia Forte was shown on the footage, and NOPD officers were told to watch for it. Further footage showed suspects driving the car into Bayou St. John at 2:34 a.m., an hour after the killing. Soon, the same suspects stole a silver Kia Rio and drove away in that car instead, police allege in the documents.
Five hours later, the stolen car was involved in a crash near Veterans and West End boulevards in Jefferson Parish . Masked people left the car, but
witnesses said one person came back without his mask to retrieve a gun. Police allege it was Cornelius, who was arrested soon after at West End Boulevard and Germain Street, according to court records.
District officers told homicide detectives that Cornelius had driven the blue Kia near his home in the 3000 block of Broadway Street. On Jan. 12, police received evidence that ballistics at the scene matched the gun Cornelius had on his person, according to the records. -
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