Two weeks following a tragic incident where a 14-year-old girl was killed in a hit-and-run in West Philadelphia, the suspect has been apprehended, according to officials. Marvin Wicker, aged 40, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia after a manhunt that culminated on Thursday afternoon. Wicker is facing charges of Homicide by Vehicle among other related offenses, as reported by FOX29.
The arrest was made at a rooming house in the Germantown section of the city, where Wicker was discovered with a family member. Authorities took Wicker into custody without incident, around 2 p.m. -- a detail also confirmed by NBC Philadelphia.
The fatal event, which occurred on September 26, shook the community when young Dawn Watson was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road with her mother. The victim and her mother had been returning from a grocery trip, attempting to cross the street within the confines of the crosswalk when the tragedy unfolded.
Robert Clark, Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal, in a statement obtained by CBS News Philadelphia, articulated the diligence of the investigation, saying, "The relentless work of our Marshals Service investigators, working with detectives from the Philadelphia Police Crash Investigation Unit, resulted in the swift apprehension of Marvin Wicker." Clark expressed his hope that this arrest "can help ease the suffering for everyone who knew Dawn Watson." After the accident, the involved 2011 Mercedes Benz E350 was recovered by law enforcement on September 30, just blocks away from the crime scene. This lead helped to eventually pinpoint Wicker's location and facilitate his arrest.
Wicker now awaits legal proceedings as he confronts the serious charges leveled against him. Dawn Watson's death, an event that rendered an unimaginable loss for her family, brought together a coalition of law enforcement to bring the alleged perpetrator to justice, as the community begins the challenging process of healing from this tragedy.
