Cuffed In South Carolina Following Long Manhunt
A 21-year-old man was arrested in South Carolina and brought back to New York last week to face charges for the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old girl as she rode on a city bus in Jamaica last month, it was announced.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Borwn identified the suspect as Kevin McClinton of Queens, who was picked up in Cayce, S.C. by the NYPD and the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was later brought to Queens Criminal Court for arraignment on the charges of second-degree murder, first-degree reckless endangerment and seconddegree criminal possession of a weapon. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
McClinton was charged with the murder of D’aja (a.k.a. Asia) Robinson, 14, who was fatally struck by a stray bullet-allegedly fired by the suspect in an attempt to kill another individual-that went throgh the window of a bus on May 18.
“The death of this young, talented 14-year-old is a senseless tragedy and another painful example of the mindless gun-related violence that too often takes innocent lives,” Brown said in a statement last Tuesday.
According to the charges, Robinson left a Sweet Sixteen party on the evening of May 18 and walked to the bus stop opposite of a Sutphin Boulevard location, where she boarded a Q6 bus and walked to the rear of the occupied bus.
It is alleged that McClinton, with the intent to cause the death of another individual, then began firing multiple rounds from a handgun at the bus, one of which pierced the bus window and struck Robinson in the head.
Robinson was transported to a local Queens hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The investigation was conducted by detectives assigned to the 113th Precinct Detective Squad.
Assistant District Attorneys Patricia
A. Diaz and Carla L. Cheung of the District Attorney’s Homicide Investigations Bureau are prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Peter T. Reese, bureau chief, and Peter J. Mc- Cormack III, deputy bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.
It was noted that a complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
