WASHINGTON – Police charged a 55-year-old D.C. man with second degree murder on Friday in connection with the stabbing death of a transgender woman at a Metrobus stop last week.
Gary Niles Montgomery, of Northeast, was charged in the murder of 23-year-old JaParker Jones, who died on Friday after being stabbed in the head.
Jones was at a Metrobus stop near Benning Road in the 4100 block of East Capitol Street NE around 8 p.m. last Thursday when she was attacked.
At a press conference on Friday, Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Montgomery was arrested around 2:30 p.m. Police made the arrest after getting tips from the community and from information from passerbys on the scene.
No explanation of motive was given. Sources familiar with the investigation say video of the murder indicates a sudden, random attack, and that it was not related to James’ gender identity.
Last week, metro spokesman Dan Stessel told WTOP a passerby tracked down a police officer who helped the victim immediately after the attack.
Jones was taken to Prince George’s County Hospital, Stessel said.
The suspect fled toward The Shrimp Boat, a restaurant in the 4500 block of East Capitol Street.
Homicide detectives are investigating the case.
D.C. police released this video of a person of interest:
WTOP’s Ari Ashe contributed to this story. Follow WTOP on Twitter.
(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
