Jayne Salazar Chavez was killed outside of her home in November 2022.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A man is now accused of the murder of a 17-year-old Towers High student. Nearly three months after the shooting, authorities say he is in custody.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit, assisted by U.S. Marshals, arrested Nakia Dunta Dorsey Friday. The 23-year-old Decatur man was taken into custody on warrants of malice murder and two counts of aggravated assault filed on Jan.12.

Dorsey is accused of shooting and killing Jayne Salazar Chavez on Nov. 10. Salazar Chavez had just been crowned homecoming queen and was a well-respected leader in her Air Force JROTC program.

Investigators believe Dorsey shot Salazar Chavez and her boyfriend, 23 year old Brandon Lee Wilson, while the two were parked outside her DeKalb County home. Salazar Chavez was sitting in the passenger side, while Wilson was sitting in the driver’s seat. 

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On Friday, DeKalb County police told 11Alive that Dorsey's probable motive was jealously.

Salazar Chavez suffered several shots to her back and abdomen, according to a police report. She and Wilson made it to a gas station in DeKalb County before officers found them.

Officers found Salazar Chavez on the ground next to the vehicle, a 2017 Silver Lexus, with bullet holes seen in both the door and windshield. Wilson was shot in the leg and rushed to the hospital, according to the report.

Police said Wilson told them that he and Salazar Chavez were parked outside of her home when someone pointed a red laser and fired several shots, according to the report. He also told police that the teen was arguing with someone on the phone before the gunfire.

Dorsey was found and arrested at an apartment complex in Morrow, according to the sheriff's office. He is now being held in the DeKalb County Jail without bond.

When Salazar Chavez's mother, Amparo Salazar, learned of Dorsey's arrest in connection to her daughter's death – she was in pain and in tears. 

"Just want to cry. Just want to cry. Just want to cry," she said Friday night. 

Amparo Salazar said her daughter was excited to graduate this spring, join the Army and continue her education. She said she wishes she could've saved her daughter from violence, and save children, everywhere, from violent crime.

"No more buying – everybody – guns. Because now it’s terrible," Amparo Salazar said. "Especially young people. Because – no have responsibility. And this guy, he shoot my daughter."

Her only peace, she said, is knowing her daughter's heart was full of love for others and hope for the future.