HOUSTON — On Wednesday, Annapolis police announced that a man was arrested in connection with the shooting death of Michelle Cummings, the Houston woman who was shot while she was in town dropping her son off at the United States Naval Academy.
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Police said 29-year-old Angelo Harrod is now charged with first- and second-degree murder, and as it turns out, he had actually been in jail since the night of the shooting. He's being held in the detention center in Annapolis with no bond.
Police said Harrod cut his ankle monitor off in May and had been on the run. On the night of the shooting, June 29, he was arrested on charges not related to Cummings' death. Investigators said that while Harrod was in jail, they found evidence that made him the prime suspect in her death.
It was a day that the Cummings family had been waiting for. A day of justice.
"I gave my word as the Chief of Police that we would do everything we could to arrest the person responsible for the tragic death of Mrs. Cummings. That promise was kept today," Chief Edward Jackson said.
According to police, Harrod took part in a drive-by shooting and one of the bullets he fired struck Cummings while she was sitting on the patio of her hotel room. Police said they do not believe Cummings was the intended target.
Cummings was in town because she was dropping her son, Leonard Cummings III, off at the Naval Academy, where he is a football recruit. Leonard Cummings III played his high school ball in Spring.
"What should have been a fantastic celebratory time for their family just turned for the worst due to somebody else's recklessness," Jackson said.
After reviewing video and photos of the crime scene, police identified Harrod as the main suspect. Charges were filed on Wednesday, just over two weeks since the shooting.
Jackson said he called Leonard Cummings, Michelle Cummings' husband, to deliver the news.
"He paused when I told him the news and he said, "Thank you, Chief. Thank you. My family thanks you,'" Jackson said.
In a statement, Leonard Cummings said:
"My family and I are elated that an arrest has been made in the senseless murder of my beloved wife, Michelle Cummings. We hope and pray that this arrest will start the healing process by providing answers to the many questions that my family has about the circumstances surrounding her senseless death.
"We would like to thank the following:
- Annapolis Police Chief, Ed Jackson and his detectives
- FBI Field Agents
- Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley
- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan
- Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
- The entire U.S. Naval Academy family
- The Annapolis Community
- Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
- Members of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.
- The Divine 9
- The Motherhood of the Brotherhood
- The Navy Football Parents Tailgate Club
- My great friend, Ronald Alfred
"We also offer special thanks to all the wonderful folks across America who have kept Michelle’s story at the forefront and for supporting my family during the past three weeks. We have been amazed and comforted by the outpouring of love, prayer, donations, and support from all corners of this great nation.
"This is only the beginning. We will be actively involved with the appropriate authorities for as long as it takes to ensure that justice will prevail and the perpetrator of this crime is prosecuted to the full extent of the law."