A teenager accused of the fatal shooting of a Penn State University student and the theft of his phone was apprehended in Colorado. His stepfather is suspected of assisting him in evading law enforcement.
Azzubair Outen-Fleming, 16, was captured by US Marshals in Colorado Springs on Wednesday. This arrest comes nearly a month after he was identified as a suspect in the murder of 22-year-old Billy Schmidt, which occurred on the streets of South Philadelphia.
Authorities are still on the lookout for a second suspect, 16-year-old Kaiseem Smith, who remains at large.
The arrest of Outen-Fleming occurred just hours after his stepfather, Donte Abdulmalik, was taken into custody. Abdulmalik faces charges including hindering apprehension, obstructing justice, and tampering with evidence.
Abdulmalik, 35, is accused of assisting Outen-Fleming in fleeing from Pennsylvania and helping him hide over 1,500 miles away in Colorado.
The teen was found at a distant relative’s home and, after initially trying to deny his identity, was arrested by the US Marshals Service (USMS) Colorado Violent Offender Task Force, according to officials.
He is being held at the Zebulon Pike Youth Center, awaiting extradition to Philadelphia.
Outen-Fleming and Smith are expected to face multiple charges, including murder, criminal conspiracy and robbery, among other offences, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Azzubair Outen-Fleming, 16, was detained by US Marshals in Colorado Springs on Wednesday
The arrest came nearly a month after the murder of 22-year-old Billy Schmidt in South Philadelphia
Outen-Fleming is being held at the Zebulon Pike Youth Center, awaiting extradition to Philadelphia
The manhunt continues for a second suspect, 16-year-old Kaiseem Smith
Authorities said up to $30,000 in reward money is being offered for information in the case as the search continues for Smith, who is described as around 4ft10.
The office said that both boys will be charged as adults.
‘There’s nothing that is going to bring him back. So, nothing is going to be enough for me,’ William Schmidt, the victim’s father, told WPVI News.
The death of his son, who was gunned down just across the street from the family home, has made living near the crime scene unbearable, he told the outlet.
‘It was just me and him here, and you know, it’s a three-bedroom house. So, I just need to get out, right now.’
William ‘Billy’ Schmidt, who had just finished his third year at Pennsylvania State University, was shot dead around 1.30am on June 6 while walking home from an NBA Finals watch party at a local bar.
He was moments from reaching his family home on the 1900 block of Durfor Street when he came face to face with the two masked suspects, with disturbing footage capturing the scene.
Outen-Fleming appeared to grab Schmidt’s phone, punch him and then rummage through the student’s pockets.
Surveillance footage shows two individuals suspected of murdering Schmidt in South Philadelphia
Schmidt had just finished his third year at Penn State University, where he was studying Digital Journalism and Media
Schmidt was shot dead around 1.30am on June 6 while walking home from an NBA Finals watch party at a local bar
The suspected killers disposed of their hoodies and masks before fleeing. They were last seen wearing white t-shirts
Both teens allegedly knocked Schmidt to the sidewalk before walking away, with a suspect who is believed to be Smith ‘observed with a gun in his hand.’
The footage showed Schmidt walking behind the two suspects and pleading for his phone, before one of them is seen throwing it down the block.
In the videos, taken by multiple cameras from different angles, two young men in dark clothing with their hoods up can be seen talking to Schmidt, who could be heard saying: ‘Give me back my phone.’
The DA’s office said the two teens then split up.
Smith reached into his back pocket, pulled out a gun and fired a deadly shot into Schmidt’s chest, prosecutors say.
The teens disposed of their hoodies and masks before walking away from the scene and getting into an SUV, according to the DA. At that point, both men were wearing white t–shirts, police said.
Schmidt was quickly rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead just 17 minutes after the shooting.
‘Over a phone. It’s abhorrent. It’s just unbelievable that someone would kill someone over a phone,’ Ezra Roulinavage, one of the family’s neighbors, told NBC Philadelphia.
Members of the public with any information can call the Philadelphia Police tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or the US Marshals Service tip line at 1-877-WANTED-2.