One of the suspects in the killing of 8-year-old Arbrie Anthony was indicted Thursday, April 19, on additional charges in an armed robbery that may have provided the weapon used in the child’s slaying.
The Richmond County grand jury returned the indictment that charges Henri Beach, 20, with armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Maurice Stephens, 17, is also named in Tuesday’s indictment, but since Stephens was arrested Jan. 5 — before Arbrie was killed Jan. 8 and before two other children were wounded in a Jan. 6 shooting at the same public housing complex — he couldn’t have been involved in the Dogwood Terrance drive-by shootings.
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Tuesday’s indictment, which makes the fourth pending felony case against Beach, involves an Oct. 18 armed robbery of a cell, rifle and two handguns.
According to an earlier report by The Augusta Press, the rifle was an AK 42 which fires 7.62 ammunition. A 7.62-caliber shell casing was found after Arbrie was fatally shot.
Beach and four others are named in a 25-count indictment that accuses them of murder in Arbrie’s death, aggravated assault in the shooting of two other children two days earlier at Dogwood Terrance, as well as other charges in connection with the two drive-by shootings that were allegedly motived by illegal gang activity.
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Breach, Antoine R. Redfield, 22, Kendariss L. Brown, 31, Antionous W. Thomas, 20, and Destiny Rich, 22, were named in the indictment handed down last week by the Richmond County grand jury. Brown and Rich were the last two suspects named in the indictment who were taken into custody Monday.
All five are allegedly members of the Loyalty Over Everything gang, according to the murder indictment. As The Augusta Press has previously reported, the LOE gang is suspected of feuding with alleged members of the Bolt Alley Drive Boyz, a gang sheriff investigators contend is centered at Dogwood Terrance.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.