Hours after asking for the public’s help identifying a person of interest in a taxi driver’s shooting death, DeKalb County police put the man behind bars.
Brian McGhee, 25, of Decatur, was identified from surveillance images released by the police department Thursday morning. Investigators believe McGhee was Zenon Perez’s last fare before he was found shot in his wrecked taxi cab July 14.
RELATED: Motive still a mystery in shooting of taxi driver in DeKalb
Detective Doug Paden told AJC.com Thursday the man was seen riding a MARTA train before climbing into Perez’s cab outside the Chamblee station the day he died.
Credit: DeKalb County Police Department
Credit: DeKalb County Police Department
Officers found Perez’s body in the driver’s seat when they responded to the wreck about 11:20 p.m. outside the Sierra Hills apartment complex on Henderson Mill Road. The 56-year-old was shot once in his left bicep, but police said the bullet continued into the left side of his chest.
MORE: Taxi crashes after driver shot, killed in DeKalb County
The shot caused Perez to lose control of the cab, which grazed a tree before crashing into the complex’s sign.
The motive could have been a robbery, but Perez was found with money still on him, Paden said. Investigators are also considering whether the shooting was the result of a fare dispute.
McGhee was arrested on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault. He was booked into the DeKalb County Jail early Friday.
No further details were released Friday.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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