Five people have been arrested and two more are wanted in connection with the February 2023 slaying of a 22-year-old pregnant woman in Lakewood.
Melanie Massay was ambushed by multiple people and fatally shot in the 1300 block of Zephyr Street on Feb. 28, according to a crime alert from the Lakewood Police Department.
Massay was pregnant at the time and her unborn child was also killed, Lakewood police said Thursday, nearly a year after the slaying was first reported.
“In a lot of cases like this we have to keep the investigations quiet, especially in a situation where we have seven suspects,” said John Romero, spokesperson for Lakewood Police Department. “It was in the best interest of the investigation and the family to hold back on some of the information until now.”
Lakewood officers responded to reports of a gunshot wound victim around 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 28, Romero said.
When they arrived at the scene, officers found Massay’s body and a second victim who had been shot in the back, Romero said. The second gunshot victim survived.
Police issued arrest warrants for the seven people suspected in Massay’s death in January and have arrested five, according to Romero.
Isaac Pierrie, 23, and Jaliyah Burks, 19, are wanted on suspicion of first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault, according to court records.
Burks is a 5-foot-2-inch, Black woman weighing about 110 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, Romero said. A description was not available for Pierre, but photos released by the police department in Thursday’s crime alert show the 23-year-old is a Black man with black hair and brown eyes.
Pierrie and Burks are at large and considered armed and dangerous, Lakewood police said Thursday.
Monte Hayes, 23, ReaAsia Hollins, 20, DaJanah Abrams, 25, and Jrayla Taylor, 22, were arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault, according to court records. All are in custody on a $1 million cash bail.
Charges for Trinity Walker, 18, were not available in online court records Thursday, though Lakewood police said in a news release Walker was charged with first-degree murder.
Walker was 17 at the time of the shooting and is also in custody on a $1 million cash bail.
Anyone with information about Pierrie’s or Burks’ location can contact Lakewood police or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
