Henrico men charged with killing pregnant teen
Henrico County
Brandon T. Garlick had a brief court appearance Wednesday and was jailed without bond.
Henrico County police have charged a 19-year-old Highland Springs man and a 23-year-old from the same area with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a pregnant high school student.
Arrest records show that Brandon T. Garlick was booked at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, about 21 hours after Wazira Harris fell to the ground from a bullet wound Monday night at Highland Woods Apartments.
Yesterday afternoon, police arrested a second suspect, James A. Jones, also of the Highland Springs area. Authorities did not provide a street address for Jones. In addition to the murder charge, each man also faces a charge of use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney Wade A. Kizer asked yesterday morning that Garlick be held without bond pending a June 17 court appearance.
Garlick, who lives in the 00 block of South Grove Avenue in Highland Springs, made a brief video appearance in Henrico General District Court and received a court-appointed lawyer.
Kizer said Garlick was taken into custody Tuesday at Highland Springs Technical Center, adjacent to Highland Springs High School, just blocks from where Harris was shot.
Police said Harris was pregnant, but acquaintances of the young woman said Garlick was not the father. It could not be determined yesterday whether Garlick and Harris knew each other.
No one answered the door yesterday at Garlick's house, a Cape Cod-style home with two pit bulls in the backyard. Garlick's mother and Harris' father both declined comment.
Witnesses at the scene of the Monday night shooting in the 300 block of East Beal Street told police that Harris apparently was shot in the back sometime after 9 p.m. as she ran from a fight that broke out among as many as 30 young adults. Her body was found about 30 yards from the fight scene.
Police said Harris was taken in a private car to Richmond Community Hospital, where she died.
Kizer refused to provide other details about the case, the latest in a series of shooting deaths -- mostly of young adults -- in the past two years in the eastern Henrico corridor along Nine Mile Road.
It was not clear last night whether Garlick, who turned 19 on Sunday, attended school at the technical center. A school spokesman declined comment but noted that counseling services offered to high school students were widely used Tuesday.
"We didn't have problems with absences," said Mychael Dickerson, the spokesman.
Contact Bill McKelway at (804) 649-6601 or
.
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Reader Reactions
When a person takes a weapon out other than self defense, and these were kids, then they should get the death penalty. This young girl and her baby didn’t have a chance. Prison is too good for these murderers. When is it going to stop??? What is wrong with kids today that they have to use guns and knives to settle a fight? Playing for keeps is a dangerous thing when it comes to violence. Kids today are stupid and so are the parents that don’t teach their children how to deal with life’s issues and do’t monitor their childrens friends and activities. Just because someone turns 18 doesn’t mean they don’t still need parenting. My oldest is 31 and he still calls me for advice on raising his kids, my youngest 18, still lives at home and lives by my rules. Her friends all come to my house to hang out. Parents WAKE UP, these are YOUR children not the taxpayers or teachers to raise. Too much anger in such a young mind.
When “keepin’ it real” goes wrong. Why is it that when a fight breaks out young people pull out guns? Now this guy is going to spend the next 30 years in a 4 x 8 cell and a family loses a duaghter.
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