INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD is investigating after a teenager was found fatally shot on Indianapolis' northeast side Wednesday afternoon.
Police responded to a report of a person down in the 10200 block of Aristocrat North Drive, near North Mitthoefer Road and 42nd Street, shortly before noon on Nov. 1. This location is behind the Carriage House East Apartments, which is owned by Gene B. Glick Company.
Officers found a female teenager in the tree line, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives responded and determined the teen had been shot.
Family members identified the victim as 15-year-old Janiya Carr.
IMPD announced Thursday night they had arrested a 34-year-old man for his alleged role in Carr's death. The man was also arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Alabama.
(NOTE: 13News does not name suspects in cases until formal charges are filed by prosecutors.)
According to court documents, police looked through surveillance video from the Carriage House East Apartments.
Video from Oct. 28 allegedly shows Carr walk up to a 2018 black Kia Optima, talk to the driver and then get in the passenger seat before the car drives away.
Police said the license plate on the 2018 black Kia Optima is registered to the suspect who was arrested Thursday night.
According to court documents, the suspect is a maintenance worker at the Carriage House East Apartments, and police said he also lives in the building where Carr was found behind.
Court documents say the suspect had an arrest warrant in Alabama for narcotics and a handgun offense, as well as an unknown warrant out of Georgia.
According to court documents, officers stopped the suspect near 86th Street and Shadeland Avenue.
Detectives spoke with the suspect, who allegedly said he picked up a female — who claimed she recognized him from being around the area, but he didn't know her name — to drive her several miles east to buy an iPad.
The suspect told police the person who was going to sell the iPad never showed up, so the suspect said he drove her back.
Police looked through more surveillance video, which allegedly showed the suspect driving into the grass behind his building Oct. 28 around 5:20 a.m. The video allegedly shows the car's lights turn off, and movement can be seen, but the view is not clear.
Video then allegedly shows the suspect walking from the car to the dumpster twice and then appeared to put something in the car's truck.
Police arrested the suspect on a preliminary charge of murder. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office will make the final charging decisions.
"I don't know how to live with this pain"
Demetria Boston, Carr's mother, said she last spoke to her daughter over the phone Friday night.
"I don't know how to live with this pain, all I ask is for justice. I just want justice," Boston said.
Police reports show Boston reported her daughter as a runaway the morning of Oct. 30. She told 13News Carr had left the home for short periods of time before.
"My daughter has never run away and if she has, it's only been for a day, and her text messages always send, 'I love you my dear,'" Boston said. "I'm not going to get that no more."
Wednesday, Boston got a call from police. They found Carr in the woods near her home.
"It may not be what you want to hear, but you've got to get the truth, and I'm glad," Boston said. "It could've lingered on and kept going and her body just left, and there were days where I would still have to figure it out. But I'm glad that whatever happened, they were still able to find my baby."
Boston said she has no idea who could've done this to her daughter.
"My daughter didn't hurt nobody," Boston said. "She has so many friends that are hurt behind this. Why is all I want to know, why? I know my daughter went out with a fight. I know her, she is a fighter."
Gene B. Glick Company released the following statement on the incident:
"The Gene B. Glick Company was shocked and deeply saddened by the fatal shooting of Janiya Carr, a teenage resident of Carriage House East in Indianapolis. We mourn with her family and friends and our entire Carriage House East community over this senseless tragedy.
We are aware that a Carriage House East employee has been arrested for this crime. Throughout its investigation, we, including our community’s private security force, comprised of off-duty IMPD officers, have been working closely with and providing information to IMPD and their detectives and investigators. We will continue to actively assist and cooperate with the investigation, but we cannot provide any further details at this time which may impact or impede the ongoing investigation."
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Det. Jeremy Ingram at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or email Jeremy.Ingram@indy.gov.
Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.