Cops: NC man accused of killing store owner

A North Carolina man accused of murdering a gas station owner was captured 14 hours after making a 1,000-mile cross-country trip in the victim’s car, police said.

The fatal shooting of Art Store owner in Colorado happened around 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 5, according to the Wheat Ridge Police Department.

The suspect, identified by Indiana State Police as Shonathan Deangelo Chance, 26, “attacked the clerk, shot him and then fled in the victim’s vehicle,” Denver City Police said.

Wheat Ridge Police said the owner was found dead inside the business. The motive for the murder is not revealed.

“We can guess it was a robberybut we have no idea why this person chose to shoot the clerk,” Wheat Ridge Police Department spokeswoman Joanna Small told KUSA.

Law enforcement agencies across the country were alerted to search for the vehicle, which was spotted about 2 hours later in southern Indiana.

According to a news release, an Indiana State Police trooper in Posey County was patrolling Interstate 64 when he saw a 2015 Nissan Pathfinder linked to a homicide in Colorado. Indiana State Police said an officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled and went over 90 mph.

According to police, Chance, of Dunn, North Carolina, lost control of the vehicle and rolled off the side of the road several times. He was not hurt.

Shanetz was arrested and charged with murder, resisting law enforcement, possession of a stolen vehicle and reckless driving, state police said.

“This is a terrible tragedy; please keep the victim’s family and friends close to your hearts,” Wheat Ridge Police said. “This type of crime is extremely rare in Wheat Ridge, and we know this is shocking to our close-knit community.”