On February 8, 2023, the life of a 32-year-old Black man, Antwaun D. Conyers of New Carrollton, Maryland, was cut short in a fatal shooting. The incident occurred around 10:15 a.m. in the 3500 block of Russett Green East in Laurel. Conyers was walking on the sidewalk near the Russett Green Center when a dark-colored or gray Nissan Altima pulled up beside him. A passenger emerged from the vehicle and opened fire, striking Conyers at least once.
The car then sped away, leaving Conyers lying on the sidewalk. Despite the efforts of responding paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anne Arundel County Police homicide detectives immediately launched an investigation, believing the shooting to be a targeted act rather than a random incident of violence. Surveillance footage from the area showed Conyers walking before the Nissan Altima stopped alongside him. A witness reported seeing a Black male exit the passenger side of the car and shoot Conyers. Investigators were able to identify the vehicle, which was linked to a woman named Rakiya Denise Talley. Her close associate, Christopher Rackwon Rojas, was identified as the passenger.
The investigation uncovered a possible motive rooted in a prior incident. Just a day before the fatal shooting, Rojas had reported his own vehicle stolen by a man whose description matched that of Conyers. On the morning of the murder, Rojas and Talley were at a local business where Rojas reportedly saw his stolen car. Surveillance video captured Rojas, wearing a distinctive sweatshirt he had worn the previous day, spotting Conyers walking nearby and allegedly making a threat to shoot him. Moments later, Rojas and Talley left in her Altima, and the shooting occurred shortly after.
Authorities moved quickly to apprehend the suspects. Rakiya Talley, then 46, was arrested on February 10, 2023. An arrest warrant was issued for Christopher Rackwon Rojas, then 27, who remained at large for over a year. On August 29, 2024, the Anne Arundel County Police Fugitive Apprehension Team, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, located and arrested Rojas in Baltimore. Both Talley and Rojas have been charged with multiple crimes, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and first-degree assault.
