On January 19, 2024, at approximately 6:00 a.m., Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officers responded to a reported assault with a deadly weapon in the 7900 block of Turquoise Drive, located in Charlotte's Hickory Grove Division. Upon arrival, they discovered 26-year-old Diana Perez-Barrera with a fatal gunshot wound; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation revealed that an armed suspect had entered Perez-Barrera's residence, holding her and another male victim at gunpoint while demanding money. After seizing approximately $2,000 from a backpack, the assailant fatally shot Perez-Barrera. Subsequently, the suspect forced the male victim into the trunk of the victim's own vehicle, a 2010 Dodge Challenger, and drove to an arcade gaming center managed by the male victim. Upon arrival, the male victim alerted security personnel, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and security guards. The suspect then fled the scene in the victim's vehicle.
On January 20, 2024, CMPD's Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT), along with the Crime Gun Suppression Team (CGST) and the Kannapolis Police Department, arrested 33-year-old Quanticus Rucker on unrelated charges. During the investigation, detectives identified Rucker as a suspect in Perez-Barrera's murder. Ballistic analysis linked a .45 caliber handgun found in Rucker's possession to shell casings at the crime scene, as well as to other homicides in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and Dallas, Texas.
On August 22, 2024, CMPD detectives obtained warrants for Rucker's arrest in connection with Perez-Barrera's murder. He was subsequently transferred from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office on August 29, 2024. Rucker faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, armed robbery, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. CMPD encourages anyone with additional information to contact their Homicide Unit directly at 704-432-TIPS or to provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
