A juvenile murder suspect was arrested in Raleigh on Friday.
Police said Syncere Pigford, who has an arrest warrant for murder, has been seen at several Raleigh high schools over the past two days.
Pigford was arrested around noon near the intersection of North King Charles Road and Tudor Place. Raleigh police and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office worked together to arrest Pigford.
The end of the manhunt and Pigford’s arrest occurred just a few meters from Laurie Howard’s house.
“I heard someone screaming, ‘Get on the ground! Get on the ground!'” Howard said. “I was shaking. It was so scary. Dozens of cars drove into the yard.”
Pigford’s age has not been disclosed, but he is under 18 and is considered a minor by authorities.
Pigford was wanted in connection with the shooting death of 24-year-old Serenity Spencer on June 30 near Wendell.
The Wake County Public Schools system sent an email to parents Friday morning to inform them of the additional security measures, saying Pigford was seen on the campuses of Broughton, Enloe and Athens Drive high schools on Wednesday and Thursday. It later clarified that Pigford was never on the campus of Athens Drive high school.
“At each school, administrators immediately identified Pigford as an intruder and removed him from campus. At that time, they were unaware that he was a suspect in a murder case,” WCPSS said in the email.
According to the Wake County public school system, Pigford was a student at Southeast Raleigh High School.
Brothers Xavier Don ‘Ameche Atkinson, 19, and Kahlil Hahson Atkinson, 18, were arrested and charged with Spencer’s murder. Both are charged with first-degree murder. Authorities are holding both without bail.
The brothers appeared in court on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Wake officials obtained a juvenile criminal charge for a third suspect in the case.
Serenity Spencer’s sister, Sade Spencer, told WRAL News that Spencer did not know the suspects and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin issued a statement about the arrest.
“We are relieved that this individual is in custody and we are proud to have assisted the Wake County Sheriff’s Office in this search,” Baldwin said. “Like many parents, school staff, students and community members, I breathe a sigh of relief that we have reached a peaceful resolution. I also want to thank the Wake County Public School System for their partnership to ensure the safety of the community.”
Note: While Raleigh police were searching for Pigford, WRAL’s Sky 5 spotted another young man arrested at the same location at the same time. Police told WRAL News they would not release that person’s name because he is under 18. They did not disclose what charges, if any, will be filed against that person.
