Suspected gunman arrested in fatal home invasion robbery at Lakewood apartment
A third person connected to a fatal home invasion robbery at a Lakewood apartment has been arrested.
Vincent Flakes, 25, was taken into custody at a Tacoma home Monday night.
Police believe he’s the one who fatally shot Melissa Williams, 36, as she lay on her kitchen floor Feb. 11
On Tuesday, Pierce County prosecutors charged Flakes with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery.
He is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon.
Also charged with first-degree murder in the case are Napua Nelson, 27, and Arkangler Conners, 53.
Conners lived in the same apartment with Williams and Williams’ father.
Flakes denied being involved in a robbery or knowing his co-defendants. When confronted with a picture of himself and Nelson, he claimed they only met once.
Charging papers give this account of the incident:
Conners met up with some friends the evening of Feb. 11 and complained that Williams and her father had been stealing jewelry and other items from her.
Nelson allegedly offered to help her get her stuff back.
Nelson told detectives after she was arrested that she and Flakes went into the apartment. She held Williams’ father at knifepoint while Flakes kept a gun on Williams.
“Nelson was unaware that her friend had shot Melissa and all he said was that he was sorry,” records say. “It wasn’t until the following day that she spoke with Conners and learned that Melissa had been shot and killed.”
Police were called to the Union Crest apartments about 1:15 a.m. and found Williams dead from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Her father said somebody held him at gunpoint while stealing several items, and he could hear somebody speaking to his daughter in the living room.
A gunshot rang out before the two intruders fled.
Conners claimed she was in the shower during the robbery and didn’t hear anything except a bump, which she thought was Williams’ father falling down.
Taken during the holdup were two laptops, wallets, cell phones and keys.
When searching the homes where Conners and Nelson were arrested Friday, police said they found a gun, mask and several cell phones.
