Second suspect arrested in stabbing, beating case

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Staff report

KANNAPOLIS — Police arrested a second suspect Monday in the Jan. 12 stabbing and beating of a Blackwelder Street man.

Tamine Rajan Benjamin, 24, of 2894 Springdale Ave., is charged with attempted first-degree murder. He was in the Rowan County jail under $200,000 bond Monday night.

When police arrived at Jeremy Lamarr Norman’s house at 305 Blackwelder St. around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 12, they found the 23-year-old man lying on his living room floor with stab wounds in his back and injuries sustained in the beating.

Norman had escaped from three men who attacked him in front of his house, Kannapolis Police Investigator Laura Carden said. Neighbors who called police reported hearing shots fired and Carden said investigators believed at least one of the suspects had shot at Norman and missed.

Doctors at NorthEast Medical Center treated Norman and kept him overnight before releasing him.

Police arrested Michael Lee Burton, 22, of 2824 Wilkie Drive, around 3 a.m. the morning after the attack. He remains in the Rowan County jail under $100,000 bond, charged with attempted first-degree murder.

An arrest warrant was issued for Roderick Osborne Alexander, 24, of 151 Quail Hill Drive, Mooresville on a charge of attempted first-degree murder.

Carden said at the time that the motive for the attack was unclear, but that Norman knew the suspects.