Police on Sunday announced an arrest in the killing of a 54-year-old man Saturday, one of two Little Rock homicides over the weekend.
Dupree Boatner, 21, of Little Rock was arrested and charged in the killing of 54-year-old Allen Sims, who was found dead near an alley between South Arch and South Gaines streets, according to a statement from the Police Department.
The second homicide of the weekend came Sunday morning when a man was fatally shot during a robbery outside his Little Rock home, authorities said. The homicides are the 40th and 41st in Little Rock this year. That is one fewer than the total number of homicides in 2016.
In the first homicide of the weekend, officers were called to the 500 block of West 24th Street at about 6:30 p.m. after children walking by saw a man on the ground and notified an adult, police said.
Little Rock homicides Aug. 12-13
Click here for larger versions
Sims, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was found bleeding from the head and lying beside a brick wall, according to a statement from police. Officer Steve Moore, a police spokesman, said Sims was homeless and was killed between noon and 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to a statement from the Police Department, Sims died from trauma to the head. His body was taken to a medical examiner's office for an autopsy.
Investigators developed Boatner as a suspect after interviewing witnesses and finding evidence at the scene, said Lt. Steve McClanahan, speaking with reporters Sunday afternoon. He said information from the community is critical to solving violent crime in Little Rock.
"It's very, very key to solve these cases with good victim and witness cooperation," he said. "If we have that, more than likely we will be able to solve the case."
McClanahan declined to reveal the motive behind the killing or the evidence that police said links Boatner to the death.
He said there was some sort of disturbance between Boatner and Sims and that the two had some sort of "known" relationship.
In the second homicide, police responded at about 2:50 a.m. Sunday to 3101 S. Main St. on a report of a shooting, according to a statement from police. When they arrived, officers found 48-year-old Vincent James surrounded by blood and kneeling on the porch, according to a police report.
James had gunshot wounds in both legs. An ambulance took him to UAMS Medical Center, where he died hours later, at about 9 a.m., according to a statement from police.
Before being taken to the hospital, James told police he was entering his home at 3108 S. Main St. when two people tried to rob him, according to the statement. Police said one of the suspects shot James during the robbery.
After being hit, police said, the 48-year-old man then walked over to his neighbor's house at 3101 S. Main St. to call 911.
McClanahan described the suspects as a white male and a tall and thin black male.
James' neighbor said he went outside after hearing the gunshots and saw James wrestling with a person, according to a police report. Authorities said they found a tactical flashlight for a pistol, a loaded magazine and several shell casings, according to a report. Authorities also found some personal items from James, including a small packet of unidentified pills, the report said.
At the scene, there were bloody footprints and a trail of blood between James' home and his neighbor's house, the report said.
Outside James' home, police took pictures of the driveway as a woman stood outside the crime scene tape. The woman identified herself as the victim's mother before walking away in the light rain to talk with a lieutenant.
Metro on 08/14/2017