The police have made an arrest in the July slaying of a Howard University student, the Washington Post reported.
Rasdavid Lagarde, 26, of Northeast Washington, DC was arrested Tuesday morning in the killing of 22-year-old Omar Sykes.
"We would like to thank the Metropolitan Police Department and the entire community for their tireless efforts to resolve this case and bring the responsible person to justice," Howard University spokeswoman Kerry-Ann Hamilton said in a statement. "The Howard Community still mourns the loss of Omar Sykes, a young man of tremendous promise."
Sykes was shot at about 11:30 p.m. at Georgia Avenue and Fairmont Street on July 4. He was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. He died at a local hospital.
Police previously termed this murder a random robbery attempt. Authorities said they still have not determined whether anything was taken from Sykes; his wallet remains missing, police said, but it's unclear whether it was taken or lost in the mayhem.
A police official with knowledge of the investigation told The Post that a witness told police he heard the suspect say he was involved in the robbery. The official said detectives then traced the suspect's cell phone to the location and time of the robbery.
"I don't think anything is more innocent than a young person coming to the District of Columbia to attend college," assistant D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham told reporters. "We're hopeful this will give the family some sort of closure."
The suspect's mother, Terri Lagarde, told the Post her son had recently returned from auto mechanics school in Texas. He lost his job and returned to the District of Columbia.
"I feel really bad about what happened," she said. "I never thought I would be in this position. I mourn for any mother's child."
Sykes was the leader of Howard's chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity. A scholarship in Sykes's name has been started through the American Foreign Service Association.
Lagarde was charged with first-degree murder while armed and is scheduled to be arraigned in D.C. Superior Court Wednesday.
