Arrests made in ‘senseless' murder of man over cellphone

LITHONIA, Ga. — Several people have been arrested in the shooting death of a filmmaker found last year along a road in Lithonia.

Leevon Daniels, 26, of Conyers, was found dead near Swift and Main streets on May 6, 2015.

Lithonia police announced Tuesday that they have arrested five juveniles and identified another person in connection with the homicide case.

Police said six suspects approached Daniels near a sports bar and demanded his cellphone. They said when Daniels threw the phone at the group, one person fired a shot and left Daniels to die.

“We miss him every day. It hurts,” the victim’s sister, Lauren Fordyce, said.

The chief of police, Roosevelt Smith, called the killing “senseless."

“This young man lost his life over a cellphone,” he said.

Smith said the victim didn't know the suspects.

Police said a tip led to the arrest of five suspects. All are in their teens. Police said some have gang affiliations.

"Whether or not this was a gang initiation, that’s still under investigation,” Smith said.

Police identified the one suspect still on the loose as Torrence Chaney, 16. Police said he might be hiding out in the Decatur or Lithonia areas.

Smith said he could not release the mug shots of the teens, but said he expects them to be charged as adults.

“They took away a vital part of our family and we just hope they can take responsibility for what they’ve done,” the victim’s cousin, Crystal Morris, said.

Anyone with information about the remaining suspect is asked to call Lithonia police.

WSBTV