Authorities have apprehended a man charged with first-degree murder who allegedly swapped identities with another prisoner and walked out of a Washington courthouse.
U.S. Marshals spokesman David Neumann said Saturday that officials apprehended 24-year-old James Brewer, a suspect in a fatal shooting in Washington in June. Neumann said Brewer was caught in Washington, but he did not have any additional information.
D.C. Superior Court records say that before Brewer was called before a judge, he switched identification bracelets with a prisoner arrested on a drug charge. Brewer then apparently posed as the other person and was released because the charge, possession of PCP, is a misdemeanor.
Brewer was arrested Thursday in Newport News, Va., in connection with the slaying of Solomon Reese, known in his southeast D.C. neighborhood for helping fellow veterans and selling cigarettes.
Reese, who grew up in Alabama and was the oldest son among 15 children, was shot June 27 during an apparent robbery attempt, police said. Police had recovered items allegedly taken from the apartment where Reese and his wife lived.
"Apprehending Brewer is a top priority," said Deputy U.S. Marshal David Neumann, spokesman for D.C. Superior Court. "With Brewer behind bars, the victims' family will be able to sleep better at night."