Tacoma man sentenced for fatally shooting woman during Lakewood home invasion
A 28-year-old Tacoma man who pleaded guilty to charges related to a 2020 Lakewood home invasion where he fatally shot someone was sentenced to prison this month.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Joseph Evans sentenced Vincent Flakes to just over 17 years in prison for second-degree murder and first-degree robbery, with credit for close to three years served in jail while his case was pending. Court documents show Flakes had no prior criminal history.
Flakes fatally shot Melissa Williams, 36, on Feb. 11, 2020 as she lay on her apartment’s kitchen floor, where she often slept, according to court documents.
Co-defendant Napua Nelson, 30, was sentenced to 10 years and three months in prison for second-degree murder last month, also with credit for close to three years in jail. A judge dismissed a first-degree murder charge filed against another co-defendant, Arkangler Conners, 56, due to her lack of mental competency.
Nelson told police that Conners, whom she referred to as “auntie,” informed her that her roommates, Williams and Williams’ father, were stealing from her, according to court documents. Nelson then offered to help Conners get her things back and planned a robbery with Flakes.
Nelson told police that during the robbery she held Williams’ father at knifepoint while Flakes had Williams at gunpoint in another room, according to court documents. She said she then grabbed items from the room and fled.
Williams’ father said he heard a gunshot as the robbers fled, according to court documents. Two laptops, wallets, cell phones and keys were stolen during the robbery.
Conners told police she was in the shower during the robbery, but phone records showed she called Nelson shortly beforehand, according to court documents. She admitted to telling Nelson about her roommates allegedly stealing from her.
Police determined Flakes pawned a revolver about a week after the incident, according to court documents. Investigators did not find a bullet casing at the scene, leading them to believe the suspect fired a revolver.
