American actor Akili McDowell has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a 20-year-old man in Houston, Texas, on July 20.
The 21-year-old actor, known for his role in Billions, was booked into the Harris County Jail on Thursday, August 1, facing charges of murder and theft. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office confirmed McDowell’s murder charge against Cesar Peralta in a social media post on August 3.
Deputies responded to the scene at an apartment complex parking lot located at 13503 North Thorntree, near Wallisville and Uvalde in East Harris County, around 9:15 PM.
The initial report stated that an adult male, believed to be in his 20s, sustained gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspects fled prior to the arrival of law enforcement. An updated post confirmed that McDowell had been charged with the murder of Peralta, who was reportedly unarmed.
As per online jail records, McDowell is currently being held on a $400,000 bond for the murder charge and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, August 5.
His bond for the theft charge is set at $210, with another court appearance for that offense scheduled for August 6, and a subsequent hearing for the murder charge set for October 9.
McDowell’s manager, Jonell Whitt, expressed concern about the situation, stating, “This is an unfortunate situation, and I am in prayer for Akili and those impacted by this tragedy. I respectfully have no comment at this time.”
Jail records obtained by the publication indicate that the theft charge may be linked to a misdemeanor case from July 2023, in which McDowell allegedly stole a pair of headphones. The documents reveal that he was charged with murder while already on bond for the theft.
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McDowell is best known for his role as David in the OWN series David Makes Man, which follows the story of a 14-year-old boy from the projects who is haunted by the death of a friend and looks to his hardworking mother for a way out of poverty.