A 23-year-old man is facing a capital murder charge in the death of an 8-year-old in Helena-West Helena, police said Monday.
Officers stopped a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on South Sebastian Street around 10:25 p.m. Saturday, according to a news release by Helena-West Helena police. Authorities said the driver left the vehicle carrying an unresponsive boy, age 8, who was covered in blood. The boy was placed in a patrol vehicle and taken to Helena Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Officers later received information that Hector Jankell Garcia-Lopez was involved in the boy’s death, the release states, though police didn’t immediately provide details about the nature of his involvement.
Garcia-Lopez was arrested and taken to the Phillips County jail on one count each of capital murder, domestic battery and aggravated assault, according to the release. Police said he was expected to appear in a bond hearing Monday.
Messages left with Police Chief James Smith and Phillips County Coroner Earnest Larry seeking additional information were not immediately returned Monday afternoon.