NC college student shot dead by 'career criminal' in 'random' SC home invasion: police
A 22-year-old North Carolina college student is dead after a man allegedly broke into her friend's home in South Carolina over the weekend and shot her in the chest after stealing several credit cards.
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook described the crime as "random" and the suspect, 30-year-old Alexander Dickey, as a "career criminal" during a Monday press conference.
Logan Federico, an aspiring teacher from Waxhaw, North Carolina, was visiting her friends in Columbia, South Carolina, and staying at a house on Cypress Street on the evening of May 2 through the morning of May 3.
Early on Saturday, Dickey drove a stolen vehicle into the neighborhood and parked the car on Cypress Street, seemingly at random, according to Columbia police. He allegedly broke into one home and stole the keys to another vehicle and a firearm. He then broke into the home where Federico was staying, police said.
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There, Dickey allegedly stole several credit cards, saw Federico sleeping in one of the rooms in the house and fatally shot her.
Holbrook called Federico a "true victim."
Authorities responded to the residence around 11 a.m., when Federico was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.
The next day, Dickey went on a "shopping spree" using the stolen credit cards in West Columbia, and the stolen vehicle he was using broke down in Saluda County, police said. He allegedly called a tow truck to have the stolen vehicle transported to a residence in Gaston.
Authorities began tracking Dickey as a person of interest and responded to the residence in Gaston on May 3. He allegedly fled the home when they arrived, and officials spent the remainder of Saturday searching for him.
Around 4 p.m. on May 4, a Gaston resident reported seeing a man, later identified as Dickey, emerge from the woods and steal a car. He drove to the initial Gaston residence law enforcement had responded to the day before and forced his way inside the home.
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Authorities surrounded the residence and arrested the suspect.
Federico's father, Stephen Federico, remembered his daughter during the news conference. She had been working two jobs at the time of her death while studying to become a teacher, he said.
"My daughter, I cherished. She was a strong, fun, loving individual who did what she wanted to do and was spicy. She was the biggest Taylor Swift fan that I've ever seen," he said. "She loved and adored kids — children of all ages."
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He also shared a message from his daughter to Dickey. "You can't kill my spirit," he said.
Dickey is charged with murder, two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, two counts of grand larceny, grand larceny of a motor vehicle, three counts of financial transaction card theft.
"Dickey…he's a criminal," Holbrook said.
Court records show Dickey was involved in 40 criminal and traffic cases between 2013 and the present. He has convictions for breaking and entering, burglary, grand larceny, strong-arm robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest and more.
His most recent conviction for resisting arrest resulted in a 30-day prison sentence.
"Our deepest condolences go out to the Federico family and all who knew and loved her. No words can ease the pain of their loss, but we stand with them in support and sorrow," Columbia police said in a Monday statement. "This case highlights the strength of collaboration. We are grateful for the outstanding partnership between the Richland County Coroner’s Office, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and our City of Columbia team. Because of our joint efforts, a suspect has been identified and apprehended."
"We remain committed to pursuing justice and supporting Logan’s family every step of the way," the department added.