May 30, 2021- 5:15 p.m.
Raleigh police charged an 18-year-old girl Saturday with killing James Lacy Taylor — a man who died after being found seriously injured at a cemetery near NC State University’s campus.
Police found Taylor, 69, with “serious injuries” on Friday night near the 2200 block of State Farm Road in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The man was taken to the hospital where he died.
On Saturday night, police arrested Maria Elizabeth Pena-Echeverria and charged her with murder in connection to Taylor’s death. She is now being held at the Wake County Detention Center.
Maria Elizabeth Pena-Echeverria, 18
Courtesy of Raleigh Police Department
NC State first alerted the campus of the incident just before 10:40 p.m. According to the alert, Raleigh officers told University Police a homicide happened in the cemetery, which is adjacent to Schenck Forest.
Witnesses said the three suspects — a woman and two men — left in an extended lifted cab pick-up truck and an older model four-door sedan that was brown or blue. Both cars left traveling toward Reedy Creek Road.
