Homicide Suspect in 2017 Leroy Lawrence Homicide Caught in Israel

Homicide suspect, 20-year-old Haitim Mahir Taha. Image-APD
Homicide suspect, 20-year-old Haitim Mahir Taha. Image-APD

After an investigation that spanned nearly a year and a half, the second person wanted in the April 7th, 2017 homicide of 17-year-old Leroy Lawrence, who was shot and killed in the Peterkin/Irwin area in Mountain View, has been arrested in Israel, the U.S. Marshal’s Service announced.

According to the report, 20-year-old Haitim Mahir Taha was taken into custody by Israeli police on Monday, and APD, AST, and the FBI are currently working to have him extradited back to the US to face charges.

Leroy Lawrence was an innocent bystander in the incident last year when Taha and his co-defendant, 16-year-old Anthony Salazar, who was the driver, opened fire on multiple persons after following them to that Mountain View location.

Leroy was walking to a friend’s house when Taha opened fire on the group of individuals who had just exited their vehicle. One person in that group was wounded in the leg and Leroy suffered critical injuries from a bullet to the head. After shooting up the area, Taha and Salazar fled the area.

The man wounded in the leg was transported to the hospital by friends, Leroy was found lying in the street. He was also taken to the hospital but died from his injury four days later.


The incident had its beginnings when Salazar, who was at a local hospital earlier that day seeking treatment of a hand injury incurred in an Oceanview burglary, got into a confrontation with the group. The duo later spotted the group and followed them to the Mountain View location where the shooting incident occurred.

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Taha was taken into custody at his mother’s home in Israel, he had entered the country three months after the incident in April.