Crime & Safety
Philly Random Murder Suspect Arrested In Massachusetts: Police
Wagner Tejeda Peña is expected to face a judge Friday after he was found in Lawrence as the result of a manhunt Thursday.
LAWRENCE, MA — The man accused of a random murder in Philadelphia and who police say committed two stabbings near Boston was arrested in Lawrence Thursday night.
Wagner Tejeda Peña, 24, is accused of murdering 77-year-old Loi Ngyuen in Philadelphia on June 21, was wanted on two warrants out of West Roxbury District Court related to two stabbings in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood in February, and police say he has threatened to kill members of his family.
Police conducted a motor vehicle stop around 10:30 p.m. Thursday and Tejada Peña was arrested without incident. He was taken to Boston for booking and faces charges of being a fugitive from justice out of Philadelphia, and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
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Thursday afternoon, officials obtained information that Tejada Peña might be near Roslindale, Lawrence, or even Rhode Island and should be considered armed and dangerous.
Police say Tejada-Pena shot and killed a random person in Philadelphia on June 21 after he tried to shoot at two other random people, but his gun malfunctioned. 77-year-old Loi Nguyen was just out for a morning walk when he was found fatally shot in the head by police.
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It is still unclear why Tejada-Pena fired at the two people in Philadelphia, police say.
In Roslindale in February, police say Tejada Peña stabbed a co-worker in the leg after an argument outside of Domino's - police say the then broke into someone's apartment and stabbed them in the face and chest.
No additional information was provided by the Boston police about the threats against his family members.
"I can't explain to you what is in a person's brain or doesn't have a heart that would do that and then give them access to a gun and we have what we have," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said. "Someone as inhumane as that should not have access to a gun ever, I mean what type of person would do that to another human being?"
Tejada Peña is expected to be arraigned Friday in West Roxbury District Court.
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