Pine Bluff police have identified a suspect in connection with a homicide Tuesday outside an apartment complex at 1320 Maple St. and are asking the public for assistance in locating him.
Lester Phillips, 30, is wanted on probable cause of first-degree murder in the death of Leroy Collins, police announced Wednesday in a press release.
Phillips’ last known address is Apartment No. 8 in the complex at 1320 Maple St.
Collins, 35, was taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 7:40 p.m. of an apparent gunshot wound to the head.
Police Lt. JoAnn Bates said Collins was found on the apartment parking lot after police responded to a report of gunshots at about 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“People reported hearing gunshots and went out to see what was going on and found him,” Bates said.
The slaying was the 12th in Jefferson County so far this year, the 11th inside the Pine Bluff city limits and the second in a week.
Anyone with information should contact the Detective Division at 730-2090 or cal 9-1-1. All calls will be kept confidential and a reward is available for information leading to an arrest. Tips can be submitted through the PBPD website at www.pbpd.org. To text an anonymous tip to the PBPD, just text “PBPD” plus the message to 274637.
The homicide is the second in a week. Saturday night, James S. Johnson, 65, died in a shooting. A $250,000 bond was set Monday for Crystal Joy Scott-Paxson, 40, who allegedly shot Johnson. Pine Bluff District Judge John Kearney set the bond after ruling that prosecutors had probable cause to charge Scott-Paxson with first-degree murder.