Police: 5 charged with murder of motorcyclist in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Five people are facing multiple charges including murder for the death of a motorcyclist that took place earlier this week.

Raleigh police officers have the following people in custody for the shooting death of 37-year-old Jonas Barrett Padilla:

• Anthony Edward Cheever, 33
• Tyler Scott Grissom, 29
• Vidaul Rashaad Reed, 29
• Martinus Jermaine Starks, 41
• David William Stephens, 24

The five men face charges including murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Stephens and Grissom make their first court appearance Friday morning. A Raleigh investigator told ABC11 they didn't appear with the other three suspects due to a possible security risk. Officials are also trying to keep them from communicating and further conspiring. The other three man appeared in court Friday afternoon.

There was a heightened law enforcement presence inside the Wake County courtroom for what authorities are calling a high profile case. There were five extra deputies in the courtroom signaling just how dangerous authorities believe these men are.

A man who described himself as a friend of Padilla told ABC11, 'he wasn't just a news story. He was my best friend."

Padilla's mother-in-law, Maria Malacara, described his murder as a heartbreaking tragedy that left family members grieving. Padilla leaves behind a wife and son.

Police began investigating the case when they got a call for a motorcycle wreck on January 1 at 7:10 p.m. When officers arrived on Bayberry Lane, they found Padilla had been thrown from the motorcycle and was taken to the hospitals with serious injuries. He later died.

On January 4, it was announced that the case was being looked at as a homicide.

"The Raleigh Police Department apprehended and removed five dangerous criminals from the streets of our city. I am grateful for the multi-jurisdictional collaborative efforts of law enforcement across our state to identify and arrest these suspected offenders quickly and without incident. The RPD will continue pursuing offenders who terrorize and harm our communities with callous and relentless violence," Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said about the arrests.

All of the men in custody could face the death penalty or life in prison. Their next court date is at the end of the month.