PALM BAY, Fla. – A man and a woman have been arrested — in Alabama and Georgia, respectively — after a 30-year-old was found shot to death inside an undeveloped subdivision in Palm By known locally as “The Compound,” according to police.
Palm Bay police announced the arrests of Robert Lanning, 28, and Rene Lemos, 41, on Monday.
The arrests come after the body of Nicholas Mitchell was found in the woods inside “The Compound” on Friday, near the intersection of Warbler Avenue and St. Andre Boulevard, according to a news release.
Mitchell had not been seen since Aug. 30, according to police, but his vehicle had been spotted in Alabama on Sept. 2.
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Investigators said Mitchell’s car crashed on Sept. 4 during a high-speed chase in Alabama with Lanning as the sole occupant. According to a release, Lemos showed up to the crash scene a short time later. Lanning was arrested on charges stemming from the pursuit, records show.
Detectives said they questioned Lanning and Lemos following this arrest. Both said they met Mitchell at a gas station on Aug. 30 and went with him to the compound, using the victim’s vehicle and Lanning’s truck to get there. Investigators said, at some point, Mitchell was shot several times and left on the side of the road.
Lanning was arrested in Marshall County, Alabama and faces charges of first-degree murder and grand theft motor vehicle.
Lemos was picked up in Kennesaw, Georgia and faces charges of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and grand theft motor vehicle.
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