21-year-old charged in connection with drive-by shooting that killed 3-year-old

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Days after 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa was killed, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has made one arrest in the case. Qua'Tonio Stephens, 21, was arrested after a police chase ending on I-85 near Glenwood Drive on Sept. 8. 

RELATED: 150 rounds fired into northwest Charlotte home in drive-by that killed 3-year-old

Stephens faces a number of charges: accessory after the fact to murder, felony flee to elude, seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling.

He is accused of taking "possession of the murder weapon attempting to keep" it from law enforcement, according to an arrest warrant obtained by WCNC Charlotte.

The counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling and assault with a deadly weapon are connected to a Sept. 7 shooting on Joe Morrison Lane, not the drive-by shooting that killed Figueroa. 

TIMELINE: Series of shootings leading up to the killing of a 3-year-old

Figueroa was killed on Sept. 7 at 11:45 p.m.when 150 shots were fired towards his home on Richard Rozzelle Dr. It's not yet known how many suspects police believe are connected to that shooting. 

In a Sept. 8 news conference, CMPD said they believed the suspects could be teenage students connected to three Charlotte high schools: Hopewell High School, North Mecklenburg High School, and Chambers (formerly Vance) High School. It's not yet known what connection Stephens has to these high schools if any.

RELATED: CMS releases statement after drive-by shooting that killed 3-year-old

WCNC Charlotte is digging into the arrest report and working to learn more information about this case.

Note: WCNC instituted a new policy in March 2021 regarding the broadcast or posting of mugshots.  

WCNC will only air or post a mugshot if the person has been formally charged with a crime and in a few other cases. The exceptions include: If it appears the person could be a danger to themselves or others or if they are wanted by authorities; to differentiate between people with a common name; if the photos could encourage more victims to come forward. The news-editorial leadership may also decide to use a mugshot based on the severity of the crime(s) committed and/or the level of public interest in the crime and ensuing criminal proceedings.

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