2nd arrest made more than 5 years after sleeping pregnant teen shot, killed

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have made a second arrest more than five years after a pregnant woman was shot to death while she slept on a friend's couch in a west Charlotte apartment.

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Ondrea Stevenson, 19, was killed in the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 2013, when someone shot into an apartment on Leake Street off of West Boulevard and Billy Graham Parkway.

[Witness: Pregnant teen shot, killed while asleep on couch]

Police said Stevenson, who was pregnant with her first child, was asleep on the couch at the Little Rock Apartments when she was struck by the gunfire.

(Ondrea Stevenson)

Three other women were sleeping inside the apartment when the gunshots rang out, but nobody else was hit, police said. The women found Stevenson on the couch and she was rushed to the hospital, where she died.

[RELATED: Mother still seeks answer year after daughter shot, killed]

For years, detectives have been trying to find the shooter and on March 27 the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department arrested 33-year-old Carlos Knox, accusing him of shooting into the apartment and killing Stevenson and her unborn child.

On Wednesday, CMPD arrested another man, Antonio Xavier Jennings, 37, for the murder of Stevenson.

Stevenson’s younger brother said he kind of gave up hope, but that changed when police told his family about the arrest.

“I didn't know what to think,”, Jalen Drayton said. “Everything was running through my head at one time.”

(Jennings, Knox)

Knox has been charged with first-degree murder, murder of an unborn child and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Jennings was also charged with murder.

Police said Stevenson was about 12-13 weeks pregnant when she was shot.

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During their initial investigation, police told Channel 9 they did not think Stevenson was the intended target.

Police said their investigation is not finished.

“We need as much information as possible. We know there are people that know more about this crime. We hope they’ll come forward and share information with us so we can complete closure for the family and have a successful prosecution,” Lt. Brian Crum, with CMPD, said.

Police have not yet said what led them to arrest Knox.

“What I can tell you, is that we believe that Ondrea was innocent, as was her child,” Crum said.

He is in the Mecklenburg County jail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon.

Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.

Cox Media Group