A fugitive who detectives have been seeking for two months in connection with a shooting that left a man dead and three other people wounded in Needles has been apprehended, authorities announced Friday, Sept. 26.
Xavier Scott, 20, of Needles, was found and taken into custody Wednesday, Sept. 24, in Big River, along the Colorado River at the Arizona Border, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and county jail records.
Investigators had been seeking Scott as a suspect in the July 23 shooting at an apartment in the 1900 block of Erin Drive in Needles.
Mallet, gavel, hammer and handcuffs on black background.
He was charged in August with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder anf two counts of attempted murder in connection with the alleged attack, according to San Bernardino County Superior Court records. He’s also accused of nine sentence-enhancing special allegations related to the personal use of a firearm and the infliction of great bodily injury.
But he remained a fugitive.
The shooting
The shooting claimed the life of 52-year-old William Garhartt of Needles, according to coroner’s records.
A 23-year-ld man, and a 22-year-old woman and a 21-year-old woman, all Needles residents, were wounded.
Deputies responded to reports of “shots fired” when they encountered the victims, sheriff’s officials said at the time
The apartment where the shooting took place was described in coroner’s records as the home of a friend of Garhartt.
Motive unclear
No details regarding a motive in the shooting have been released.
The relationship between the suspect and victims was also unclear.
Scott was ultimately taken into custody about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday at a riverside cabin in the 5600 block of Handemo Drive in Big River.
Bail for Scott was set at $6 million pending an arraignment hearing, which was scheduled for Monday, Sept. 29, in the Victorville branch of San Bernardino County Superior Court, records show.
More: Man sought in connection with shooting that left 1 dead, 3 wounded in San Bernardino County
More: Four people shot, one fatally, in Needles
Anyone with information was urged to contact Detective Charles Lopez of the Sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division, Homicide Bureau at (909) 890-4904. Information may also be provided anonymously to the We-Tip hotline at (800) 782-7463.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Fugitive sought in Needles quadruple shooting arrested near AZ border
