In slaying of NLR woman, 26-year-old pleads innocent

A woman arrested in a fatal shooting at a North Little Rock apartment complex pleaded innocent to a charge of first-degree murder Thursday morning.

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District Judge Jim Hamilton ordered Shaquanna Shlae Staten, 26, to be held without bond at the Pulaski County jail.

Staten is accused of killing Latosha Laschelle Lewis, 25, on Monday night at Shorter College Gardens apartments. Officers responded at 9:53 p.m. to the apartment complex at 800 N. Beech St. and found Lewis lying on the ground outside Building 15. She had been shot once in the chest, police reported. Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene.

An affidavit released Thursday offered new details on the slaying, which is the city's 10th homicide of the year.

Detective Michael Gibbons wrote that Lewis, Staten and an unidentified witness to the shooting had each been involved in a dispute over a man. They had been texting each other "all day" until Staten, armed with a small-caliber pistol, confronted the other two outside a housing unit, the affidavit states.

Staten repeatedly yelled "who want me" before shooting Lewis and fleeing, according to the affidavit.

Police spokesman Sgt. Brian Dedrick said U.S. marshals found and arrested Staten in Sherwood the next morning.

Two witnesses to the killing, who weren't named in the affidavit, told police Staten was the shooter. They identified her in a police photo lineup as well, Gibbons wrote.

Records show Staten, who was convicted of felony criminal mischief in 2008, lived in Building 16 at the complex. Police initially believed Staten and Lewis were neighbors, but a report states Lewis resided about 1 mile southeast of the property at 2217 E. Washington Ave.

Before the shooting Monday, Staten had been wanted in Pulaski County, Sherwood and Jacksonville courts on charges of failure to appear and failure to pay. She pleaded guilty to several misdemeanor counts Wednesday and was fined, according to court records.

Metro on 07/31/2015

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