A 14-year-old boy pleaded guilty Wednesday in Mecklenburg County court to second-degree murder in a north Charlotte shooting that left a young woman dead. The teen, identified in court filings as Jabari Walker, admitted to the charge and received a state prison sentence of roughly 192 to 243 months. Prosecutors say the victim, 20-year-old Emily Lizama Alvarez, was shot on Feb. 8, 2025, after a meeting they describe as a drug transaction and died four days later.
Prosecutors Say Drug Meet Was a Robbery Setup
According to prosecutors, Walker arranged to meet Alvarez on Boone Street under the guise of a drug deal but planned all along to rob the seller. When she arrived, they say he fired into her car. Investigators say cell phone records and other evidence tied Walker to gang associates and indicate that after the shooting he broke into a Charlotte home and stole a car, as reported by WCNC.
Arrest, Charges and Earlier Case Details
Police eventually arrested Walker in Cabarrus County. He was first charged with first-degree murder before prosecutors later accepted a plea to second-degree counts, an earlier report on the juvenile suspected of first-degree murder shows. An obituary listing confirms Alvarez's death on Feb. 12, 2025, and notes that memorial services were held later that month, per Forest Lawn West / Dignity Memorial.
Sentence, Custody and What Comes Next
Mecklenburg County prosecutors say Walker was sentenced to 192 to 243 months and is being held at a North Carolina prison in Morganton. State records project his release in March 2041, according to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the case to contact the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's homicide unit or the district attorney's office.
