Baltimore police have arrested three men who allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered a teenage girl.
Adonay Dixon, 23, John Childs, 20, and Raeshawn Rivers, 14, have all been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree rape, arson, kidnapping and a number of other charges. The trio allegedly raped and killed Arnesha Bowers, 16, before setting a Baltimore home on fire in attempt to burn her remains.
Investigators, who found Bowers body in her grandmother’s home, believe the murder was part of a gang initiation. The three suspects reportedly broke into the home, where Bowers lived with her grandmother, sexually assaulted the girl and then strangled her with an electrical cord.
Before setting the house on fire and fleeing the scene, the three men stole electronics and other valuables from the home.
The grandmother was working an overnight shift at a hospital and was not home at the time.
Bowers knew the attackers, WBAL-TV reports, and was spending time with them just hours before the murder.
According to ABC, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby plans to try Rivers, who is just 14, as an adult.
Police say Rivers’ “participated actively” and that the teen knew Bowers the best.
Childs had recently been charged with felony burglary and was out on bail at the time of the crime. Dixon also has a criminal history, according to his mother, Sandra, who said her son always had behavioral problems.
“I promise to continue to pursue justice on behalf of Arnesha who was brutally assaulted and murdered,” Mosby told reporters on Tuesday.”The brutality of Arnesha’s death has affected all of us.”
