Times Square Shooting Suspect Farrakhan Muhammad Taken Into Custody Near Jacksonville, Florida
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The man accused of shooting three people in Times Square over the weekend is now in police custody.
A woman was also arrested for helping him escape capture.
The NYPD said U.S. Marshals found 31-year-old Farrakhan Muhammad in Florida on Tuesday.
As CBS2's Nick Caloway reports, marshals were initially tipped off to his whereabouts after he was spotted in Fayetteville, North Carolina, buying dog food at a Walmart.
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Marshals were then able to track Muhammad down outside of Jacksonville in a McDonald's parking lot, where he was eating lunch inside a car with a woman believed to be his girlfriend, CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported.
Officials said he did not resist arrest.
Marshals provided a picture to CBS2's sister station in Jacksonville. Muhammad had changed his appearance by cutting his hair.
Muhammad is accused of opening fire in a crowded Times Square on Saturday afternoon. EarthCam video shows crowds running for cover in the area of 44th Street and Seventh Avenue.
Police say he was attempting to shoot his brother during a fight over sidewalk space where they illegally sell CDs.
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The bullets struck a 43-year-old woman from Passaic, New Jersey, a 23-year-old woman visiting from Rhode Island, and a 4-year-old girl, all innocent bystanders.
"While there is no joy today, there is justice," NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday.
You commit gun violence in New York City, you will face the consequences. No matter how far you run. https://t.co/yuIHN6zXhR
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) May 12, 2021
Shea said he made a promise to the child's parents.
"At the time, I had the opportunity to speak to the father to tell him that we were sorry, that we would do everything within our power to get justice for his little girl. Well, today, we fulfilled that promise," Shea said.
Muhammad is currently in Florida, but will eventually face charges in New York.
Police said a woman believed to be Muhammad's girlfriend, 22-year-old Kristine Vergara, was also arrested.
She was charged with accessory after the fact for helping Muhammad flee New York so he could avoid arrest.
The investigation is continuing as police still have not recovered a gun.
All three victims, meanwhile, are expected to make a full recovery.
CBS2's Nick Caloway contributed to this report.