A woman charged in the killing of a man found beaten to death in his home this month was ordered held without bail Wednesday, and police arrested a second suspect later in the day.
Alexandria Martin, 27, made an initial appearance by video Wednesday morning in Little Rock District Court after her arrest a day earlier in the July 8 death of Fred Pohnka Jr.
Martin didn't speak during the brief hearing, during which Judge Alice Lightle opted not to set a bail and entered preliminary innocent pleas on her behalf. Martin faces charges of capital murder, fraudulent use of a credit card and theft by receiving.
Little Rock police on Wednesday named 24-year-old Malcom Jamel Cooksey as a suspect in the same killing. He was arrested Wednesday afternoon at 2711 S. Jackson St., Little Rock Police Department spokesman Lt. Steve McClanahan said. Cooksey will be charged with capital murder and will appear in district court on Thursday morning, he said, and it's unknown if other charges will come later.
Pohnka, a security guard at Regions Bank, was found lying in a pool of blood on his kitchen floor last week in his South Jackson Street home. Coworkers went to the home after Pohnka didn't show up for work.
McClanahan said investigators would not release details about the motive or whether there was any connection between Pohnka and the suspects.
Prosecutors indicated during the hearing that Martin was part of a group that went to the home to rob Pohnka, adding that Martin used a stolen credit card to buy gas. Police have said that the home appeared to have been ransacked.
Cooksey, who authorities say is homeless, was seen in Kanis Park on Tuesday and was also seen running through Briarwood Apartments at 801 S. Rodney Parham Road wearing white shorts and no shirt. He is described as 6 foot 2 and 165 pounds and is traveling on foot, Little Rock police said.
Those with information on Cooksey’s whereabouts are urged to call detective Kevin “Bart” Simpson at (501) 404-3011 or ksimpson@littlerock.org.
See Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.