UPDATE: Suspect Arrested in Pelham Murder

UPDATE: 2:30 a.m. - Fredericksburg police say they have a suspect in custody in relation to a late night homicide which occured near the intersection of Pelham and Charles Street. Police have also identified the murder victim as 33-year-old Jermaine Samuel, who was living in a room at the Colonial Motel on Princess Anne Street.

Police say the victim was stabbed, not shot as some early reports indicated.The fight and homicide stemmed from a dispute over illegal drugs.

Police say the investigation is active and ongoing. The suspect's identity will be released when his is charged. Charges are expected to be filed later this morning.

Original Article Below:

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A 33 year-old man is dead after a fight in Fredericksburg in the vicinity of Charles and Pelham Streets.

Police responded at about 11:20 p.m. on Oct. 11 to calls about a fight or other disturbance nearby. Officers were advised while en route by 911 dispatchers that the victim may have been shot.

Police were still trying to determine how the victim died. According to Natatia Bledsoe, public information officer for the Fredericksburg Police Department, police do not yet know if the victim was shot or stabbed.

"The victim does have evidence of severe trauma," said Bledsoe in an email.

Upon arriving on the scene, the victim was discovered slumped on the pavement near the side of the road next to a black pickup truck on Pelham Street.

The victim had been living at the Colonial Hotel nearby on Princess Anne Street for at least three weeks, according to hotel owner, Usman Javed.

Javed described him as an excellent tenant.

"He always paid on time, very mild mannered, I've never even heard him talk loudly to anyone," said the owner. "And then I found out he got into a fight with somebody…it's very sad."

Javed said that the victim had paid off two days of back rent earlier in the evening and was going outside to meet someone immediately prior to the incident.

As the investigation wore on, more than two dozen family and friends gathered at the scene to mourn. Anguished cries of despair occasionally filled the air as each learned the tragic news. At one point, a man had to be held back by police as he learned of the death.

A resident and distant relative of the victim who lives in the immediate vicinity of the incident says that he did not hear any gunshots, only reporting that he heard shouting in the street.

"It sounded like some kids were playing up and down the street," said the resident, who did not want to be identified.

"He was an alright dude, he laughed a lot, he didn't have no grudges against nobody," said the resident. "He got into some dirt, like anybody, but he rose up beyond that."

Another homeowner whose property lies immediately in front of the scene also reported that he didn't hear any gunshots. He reported that he was only woken up by the lights and commotion of police and emergency personnel on the scene.

A relative described the victim, still not identified by police, as a quiet and humble man.

Police searched the area on foot and with the assistance of canine units. Throughout the evening and into the early morning, a heavy police presence combed the side streets and alleys looking for the suspects.