(Updated at 2 p.m.) A 40-year-old Arlington man has been arrested and charged with murder.
James Ray Williams is accused of fatally shooting a man at an apartment on the 100 block of N. Thomas Street in the Buckingham neighborhood earlier this week.
Police say Williams was arrested Friday evening on the 4200 block of Henderson Road, also in the Buckingham neighborhood and just a few blocks from the crime scene. In addition to murder, he is facing several gun and drug charges.
More from an Arlington County police press release, sent this afternoon.
The Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit is announcing the arrest of a suspect for his involvement in a fatal shooting in the Buckingham neighborhood.
During the course of the investigation, detectives developed a possible suspect description based on evidence located at the scene and witness interviews. Arrest warrants were obtained, and the suspect was taken into custody in the 4200 block of Henderson Road on the evening of March 31. James Ray Williams, 40, of Arlington, Va. has been charged with Murder, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to Distribute and Possession of Schedule I/II Narcotics. The suspect is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Facility.
Detectives continue to investigate the events that preceded the homicide. This incident remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact police at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
On Friday, ACPD identified the victim as a 28-year-old man.
The deceased has been identified as Sean Bowman, 28, of No Fixed Address. This remains an active criminal investigation and anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s Homicide/Robbery Unit at 703-228-4180 or [email protected] Information may also be reported anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Court records show that Williams has at least twice been sentenced to prison for crimes in Arlington. That includes a net two-year sentence in 2010 for drug, gun and wounding charges, and a net eight-year sentence in 2013, with five years of probation after, for drug distribution and a probation violation.
Additional court records suggest that a man named James Williams, with the same birthday as James Ray Williams, was arrested for petty larceny in Arlington recently, on Feb. 5, but was released on a summons. He failed to appear at an arraignment on March 1 in the larceny case and was declared a fugitive, according to the records.
One law enforcement source tells ARLnow that the petty larceny suspect is not the same James Williams as the murder suspect. Contacted by ARLnow, an ACPD spokesperson declined to provide any clarification.
“An individual’s criminal history is protected under Virginia Code §19.2-389 and we cannot speak to any other possible criminal incidents involving the suspect,” said ACPD’s Alli Shorb.
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