Man sought in 6-year-old’s death arrested in Las Vegas
A man wanted in the drive-by shooting death of a 6-year-old Michigan girl was arrested in Las Vegas Friday.
Michael Duane Lawrence, 24, was arrested by the Criminal Apprehension Team, a fugitive task force consisting of several agencies, including the FBI and Las Vegas police.
Lawrence was wanted in the Saginaw, Mich., shooting death of 6-year-old Lay’la Jones on Aug. 29, 2012, according to the FBI. Lawrence also was suspected in the death of his former girlfriend, Angelica Olivarez, in April.
Saginaw County prosecutors issued a warrant for Lawrence’s arrest on Sept. 3, 2012. Police contacted the FBI after they suspected Lawrence had left Michigan.
Lawrence, who was arrested at a fast food restaurant, was being held at the Clark County Detention Center on fugitive charges. He has a Tuesday court date.
Saginaw police Detective Sgt. Reggie Williams told Mlive.com that Lawrence’s capture was a yearlong effort.
“This could not have happened without constant tips coming in and the involvement of multiple law enforcement agencies in various states,” he told the site. “We can only hope that this capture and arrest will bring some peace to the grieving families.”
Police said Lawrence and three other men were seeking revenge for the killing of their friend earlier that day. The girl’s father, Shawrone Jones, was shot but survived.
Lawrence’s accomplice, Levonne J. Greer, 23, was convicted in July of murder and 16 other felonies in Jones’ killing, Mlive said. Rico A. Saldana, the alleged driver, has also been charged with murder. His trial is pending.
The fourth man, who was charged as an accessory, testified against Greer in July, according to Mlive. His identity was not released.
Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Follow @blasky on Twitter.
