What to Know
- Kevon Clarke, 19, of Norristown, was arrested in Philadelphia on Monday and charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, person not to possess a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime.
- Investigators said Clarke was involved in a shooting in Norristown on November 25. A stray bullet from the shooting struck and killed 25-year-old Edilberto Miguel Pelaez Moctezuma as he was eating his Thanksgiving dinner.
- Police continue to search for two other suspects who they say were involved in the shooting.
An arrest was made in the murder of a man who was shot by a stray bullet while eating Thanksgiving dinner inside his Montgomery County home.
Kevon Clarke, 19, of Norristown, was arrested in Philadelphia late Monday morning in connection to the murder of 25-year-old Edilberto Miguel Pelaez Moctezuma.
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“We always appreciate the opportunity to support the Norristown Police Department and the Montgomery County Detectives Bureau, and hope the capture of this fugitive will bring some semblance of closure to the Pelaez Moctezuma family members stemming from this utterly senseless tragedy,” Eric Gartner, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said.
On Thursday, Nov. 25, Clarke was involved in a dispute at a Thanksgiving dinner party on the 100 block of Haws Avenue in Norristown, police said. Clarke and three other people, including his girlfriend, were then asked to leave.
After the four left, Clarke's girlfriend's cousin texted her after discovering that alcohol had been stolen.
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Arrangements were made for the alcohol to be returned to the cousin outside of Clarke's home on Basin Street in Norristown. When the cousin parked outside, Clarke allegedly exited his house holding a gun. The cousin then drove off as multiple shots were fired in her direction, investigators said.
One of the bullets entered Moctezuma's home on the 1100 block of Arch Street, investigators said. Moctezuma, who was eating Thanksgiving dinner at the time, was shot once in the torso after a bullet went through a window.
Moctezuma was flown to Penn Presbyterian where he was pronounced dead.
After the shooting, Clarke called his girlfriend's cousin, screaming at her, "You trying to set me up, you could have got me (expletive) killed," according to investigators. Clarke also allegedly threatened to shoot into the cousin's home.
Through the use of two different surveillance videos, police determined that the shot fired into Moctezuma's residence came from Clarke's area. Police also said the video shows two other men running away from the shooting scene.
Police issued an arrest warrant for Clarke in November and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force took over the case.
Clarke was arrested in Philadelphia on Monday around 11 a.m. He is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, person not to possess a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime.
Police are still searching for the two other men who were caught on surveillance video running away and believe they were involved in the shooting.
Anyone with information on the incident or the whereabouts of the two other men should call the Norristown Police Department at 610-270-0977 or call the Montgomery County Detectives’ Tip Line at 610-278-DOIT (3638).
