19-year-old Arkel Garcia was charged Monday with the murder of 21-year-old Christian Massey.
Investigators say Massey was leaving a friend's house on November 30th when he was approached in the alley on the 5800 block of Lebanon Avenue in Wynnefield.
The suspect demanded Massey hand over his iPhone and headphones. A struggle ensued and Massey was shot in the chest.
Police drove him to the hospital and while doing so, Massey told them them what happened.
Massey would later die of his injuries.
Last Monday, nearly 50 relatives and friends gathered on the 1400 block of North Felton where they remembered Massey.
"I lost my brother, my favorite brother, over something dumb," sister Deana Watkins said.
"It was dumb. He had just bought the headphones. He had bought them that Friday," grandmother Eula Hodge said.
"He always tells me when he left, 'Grandma, I'll be back,' and I'd say 'Okay then.' He always came back and now he ain't going to come back," Hodge said.
Relatives say Massey is a graduate of Marple Newtown High School where he played lacrosse, basketball, and football.
Many of his former classmates and coaches attended the vigil and were heartbroken by his death.
"He was a big brawny guy, but he was like a teddy bear. He was so compassionate and fun loving," former coach Gene Delaney said.
