UNION COUNTY, N.C. — A firearms supplier has been arrested in connection with a violent crime spree in Union County that resulted in one death and injured a police officer.
Alejandro Figueroa-Bautista was identified as the supplier of the illegal fully automatic firearm used by 18-year-old Joshua Sikes during the attacks in late May.
“This series of violent, reckless acts is a grim example of what happens when dangerous criminals get their hands on illegal weapons,” said Sheriff Eddie Cathey.
In the early morning hours of May 31, officers with the Monroe Police Department attempted to stop a suspicious vehicle driven by Sikes, who fled and opened fire with a fully automatic assault rifle, injuring an officer.
Sikes was later found to have murdered 23-year-old Alvin Parson before the police pursuit and was killed after engaging in a shootout with officers.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives collaborated to trace the firearm back to Figueroa-Bautista.
Figueroa-Bautista faces charges including two counts of possession of a machine gun and four counts of soliciting the unlawful purchase of a firearm.
He is currently held at the Union County Detention Center under a $450,000 bond.
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