A West Philadelphia man is accused of fatally shooting a woman and then disposing her body in a trash can in the city's Mill Creek neighborhood late last month, police said.
Ricardo Ponds, 61, was taken into custody by SEPTA Transit Police on Wednesday night at 15th and Market streets following an investigation into the death of 54-year-old Deborah Leatherberry.
MORE: Sinkhole in Port Richmond swallows vehicle, shuts down road
Leatherberry's body was found in a garbage can on the 700 block of North 47th Street on Jan. 30, police said. The remains were in a park area near the Lucien E. Blackwell Community Center, Mill Creek Playground and Parkway West High School.
At the time the body was found, police were not immediately able to identify Leatherberry. An investigation led authorities to identify Ponds as a suspect, and authorities allege he fatally shot Leatherberry in the head before dumping her body at the park.
Investigators did not provide details about what may have motivated the shooting.
Ponds is charged with homicide and related offenses.
