Teenage girl helped man shoot and kill her brother: Deputies
Share and Follow

Background: A portion of Southwest 266th St in Naranja, Florida. Inset left: Deashia Smith (Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office). Inset right: Elton Hightower (Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office)

Months after a 20-year-old man was shot and killed in Miami-Dade County, Florida, authorities believe his younger sister was involved in the crime.

Deashia Smith, 17, and Elton Hightower, 19, both face the charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon in the death of Rae’quan Smith, according to a press release from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Rae’quan Smith was shot on Feb. 7 on Southwest 266th Street in Naranja, with deputies arriving at the scene of the crime just before midnight. When they got there, they said they learned the victim had been brought to a nearby hospital. He was later pronounced dead.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

Deputies said that through their investigation, they learned that Hightower and Deashia Smith had fired shots “in the direction” of Rae’quan Smith and that Deashia Smith possessed a firearm that was “utilized in the homicide.” The two siblings are listed as having had the same address in Homestead, Florida, while Hightower is listed as residing in Florida City.

A criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime revealed that investigators discovered the weapon while executing a search warrant at Deashia Smith’s house. According to the complaint, her mother and sister both knew Deashia Smith owned the gun, but her mother told police that her daughter had “purposely hid the firearm from her.”

A witness reportedly told police that he had a “firsthand account” of the shooting.

“The witness advised that the defendant, Elton Hightower, and the co-defendant, Deashia Smith, saw the victim standing on the side of the street and both discharged their firearms toward the victim, then fled the scene,” the complaint says.

Deashia Smith and Hightower were arrested on Wednesday. The former was already in the nearby Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to local outlet WPLG.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Shocking Incident: Woman Allegedly Attacks Toddler and Teen with Boiling Water

A Texas woman has been taken into custody after allegedly causing severe…

Ex-Restaurant Owner Allegedly Used Wine to Poison Daughter on Thanksgiving

A former restaurateur from North Carolina is facing serious charges after allegedly…

Five Individuals Apprehended in Connection with Shooting of Indiana County Judge and Spouse at Residence

Authorities have detained five individuals in connection with the attempted murders of…

Gilgo Beach Murder Suspect Seeks Dismissal of Charges Ahead of Upcoming Trial

Rex Heuermann, accused of the notorious Gilgo Beach murders, is now seeking…

Tragic Incident: Financial Strain Leads to Fatal Encounter as Father Kills Infant in Moment of Desperation

Inset: Alfred Williams (Tarrant County Corrections Center). Background: The apartment complex where…

DOJ Makes Error in Naming Top Prosecutor Amidst Request to Pause Letitia James Subpoena Ruling

Left: Attorney General Pam Bondi appears before a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight…

Man Sentenced for Setting Roommates on Fire with Gasoline and Lighter

Inset: Marcos Uriel Lara Perez (Byram Police Department). The Mississippi home Perez…

Emotionless Surgeon Pleads Not Guilty in High-Profile Tepe Murder Case During Arraignment

Michael McKee, a surgeon from Illinois, faces serious charges for the alleged…