A 22-year-old North Carolina woman visiting friends was found fatally shot inside a home in Columbia, South Carolina, over the weekend, authorities said. Police have arrested a suspect they described as a career criminal.
Logan Federico, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, was discovered dead Saturday morning in a rented house on Cypress Street. The Richland County Coroner's office determined she died from a gunshot wound to the chest, ruling her death a homicide.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook identified the suspect as Alexander Dickey, 30. Dickey was arrested Sunday in Lexington County after a multi-day crime spree that investigators said included thefts and break-ins.
Police allege Dickey first broke into a house near the Cypress Street location and stole items including a firearm before entering the home where Federico was staying. According to authorities, Dickey entered Federico's room and shot her.
Dickey then fled the area in a stolen vehicle, using stolen credit and debit cards at various locations in Lexington County before the vehicle broke down, officials said. Investigators tracked him to a residence there.
As law enforcement closed in, Dickey fled into woods and later broke into another home, which he allegedly set on fire before officers apprehended him through a window.
Dickey faces charges including murder, two counts of first-degree burglary, weapons possession, and larceny in connection with Federico's death and the preceding break-ins. The Lexington County Sheriff added charges of burglary first degree and arson second degree. Dickey was denied bond.
Authorities stated Federico was not an intended target. Chief Holbrook called her a true victim.
Federico was a college student working two jobs and studying to become a teacher, according to her father, Steve Federico. Speaking at a press conference, he shared a message he wished to send to the suspect on behalf of his daughter, saying, "You can't kill my spirit." (Source)
"That day, I could not be her hero," her father said.