Suspect in Haverford fatal shooting captured in Georgia

The Philadelphia man accused of gunning down 29-year-old John Le outside a Haverford apartment building last month has been captured in Georgia, U.S. Marshals announced Tuesday afternoon.

Derrick Rollins, 24, who is also wanted in a Philadelphia assault, was taken into custody by federal marshals in Decatur, Georgia, at about 12:45 p.m., according to Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal James Burke.

“Information developed here by the U.S. Marshals Service, working with Philadelphia Police Department Southwest Detectives and the Haverford Police Department, developed information that Rollins fled to Georgia shortly after the incident, or both incidents,” Burke said. “That information was relayed to our counterparts in Georgia who made the apprehension today.”

Authorities identified Rollins as the man wearing a red hoodie whose image was captured on a surveillance camera running from the scene on the 2300 block of Haverford Road where Le was shot. Authorities said Le had just left a pizza shop and was walking to a friend’s nearby apartment when he was ambushed at the door.

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Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said the gunman had already walked past Original Eagle Pizza before Le exited the shop.

“He seemed to double back and follow him,” Whelan said of the suspect. “We have no motive, no reason why this young man was gunned down and assassinated.”

Le was a graduate of Lower Merion High School and Temple University. He worked as an accountant at Sneaker Villa on Arch Street in Center City Philadelphia, where friends claimed he had hoped to design a sneaker for his favorite pastime, disc golf.

Le was a regular at Sedgley Woods Disc Golf Course in the Fairmount Park section of Philadelphia.

A co-worker from Sneaker Villa said Le was “such an awesome young man, super friendly, intelligent and hard working.”

Less than an hour before Le was slain, two men were uninjured when Rollins reportedly sprayed 17 shots after being questioned for looking into the rear entrance of a residence on the 1600 block of North 77th Street in Overbrook. Philadelphia police said when Rollins was confronted, he pulled out a gun started firing.

A charcoal gray Volvo was seen driving erratically away from the Overbrook scene. Later, another witness in Haverford saw the same vehicle speeding away from the scene of Le’s murder. Police believe Rollins drove the vehicle from the scene of the first shooting into Haverford, then used it as a getaway car after the murder.

Rollins has addresses in the 5100 block of Locust Street, where the gray Volvo was recovered, and on the 4000 block of North A Street, both in Philadelphia.

He was found at the Hidden Villas apartments in the 2900 block of Panthersville Road in Decatur with a female, according to a release from the U.S. Marshals Service. His relationship to the woman is not yet known, but Burke said she had also been taken into custody and was being interviewed.

Rollins initially tried to flee, but was taken into custody by K-9 units without incident, said Burke. He is currently being held at the Dekalb County Jail pending extradition.

Haverford Deputy police Chief Joe Hagan said he was delighted by the work of the marshals and other investigators in quickly tracking and apprehending Rollins.

“We actually notified the victim’s family members this afternoon and they are relieved he is in custody,” said Hagan.

Rollins is expected to be extradited to Pennsylvania, though Hagan did not know how long that process could take.