PONTIAC (WWJ) -- A 19-year-old Pontiac ma has been charged with murder in the fatal shooing of a Macomb County woman who while she was working as a Lyft driver.
Kemarrie Davion Phillips was ordered held without bond in the Oakland County Jail at arraignment in 50th District Court on one count of open murder an a gun charge in connection with the slaying of 49-year-old Dina Terrell of Eastpointe last Friday.
“This is shocking and violent tragedy,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said. “This poor victim is lost to her loving family, and the responsible person should be held fully accountable. Random violence will never be tolerated.”
Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the area of Putnam and Rundell around 5 a.m. Friday, after witnesses reported that silver Nissan Vera had struck a utility pole.
Inside the car, deputies found Terrell with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Detectives found the victim’s cellphone and a Lyft app was running with directions to an address on the northeast side of Pontiac, and additional evidence was found by detectives and a K-9 search near Hollywood and South Merrimac.
Phillips, who was allegedly spotted running from the scene, was tracked by the K-9 team and arrested a short time later without incident.
While officials have not commented on a motive for the killing, Sheriff Bouchard has said investigators do believe Phillips was a Lyft customer.
The OSCO noted that Phillips had been employed at a retail store in Rochester Hills stocking shelves, but left his job recently and is unemployed.
Phillips will be back in 50th District Court fir a probable cause conference schedule for Nov. 10, following by a a preliminary examination set for Nov. 10.
He faces up to life in prison if convicted as charged.
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