KINSTON, N.C. – Kinston police say a suspect in a teenage murder in Asheville was caught today.
Dionate Whitson was arrested during a traffic stop on U.S. 70 West in Kinston.
Police said they encountered the 21-year-old man in the 500 block of Larkspur Road on Saturday. Whitson ran from officers and tossed a stolen gun in the process.
Afterward, officers learned the man’s identity with the help of the DMV License and Theft Bureau.
Teylyn McAlphin, 17, was killed in Asheville on November 28, 2020. In addition to the Asheville murder charge, Whitson was charged with possession of a stolen firearm by Kinston police.
U.S. Marshals say Whitson is believed to be a member of the violent street gang, known as Sex, Money, Murder.
Whitson is being held without bond in the Lenoir County jail.
