Teaching assistant charged with murder in sweepstakes death

BURLINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say a pre-kindergarten teaching assistant is one of four suspects in the killing of a guard during a North Carolina sweepstakes parlor robbery.

Burlington Police said 23-year-old Tanesha Jeffries was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder and robbery.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro school officials said in a message to parents that Jeffries worked at Northside Elementary School and was fired when they learned about the police investigation.

Police said in a statement that Jeffries and three others were at the Gone Fishing Sweepstakes on April 8 when 25-year-old guard Michael Thomas Le was killed and a customer and employee were also shot.

Two of the three other suspects wanted for murder have been arrested.

It wasn’t known if Jeffries had a lawyer.