Tequita Smothers Was Arrested by MSP Last Month for speeding But Was Allowed to Go 

By Ahmar Khan

ST. MARY'S TODAY

LEONARDTOWN --- After an eight-month long search, a Newburg woman was arrested Monday afternoon in connection with a murder at the infamous Monks Inn earlier this year, according to St, Mary's Sheriff's department. Maryland State Police had arrested the woman eluding police last month for over-speeding, but she was allowed to go, ST. MARY'S TODAY found.

The defendant was identified as Tequita Smothers, 21, girlfriend of the suspect Anthony '[Lil Ant' Livers, who was arrested on April 22 for shooting of Tavaris Hewlett on April 13. Hewlett later succumbed to his injuries.

On the night of the Monks Inn murder, there were reportedly as many as 100 people at the bar's parking lot and hapless police officers were already present on the scene in connection with an earlier fight.

Life of police officers present on the scene was in imminent harms way, St. Mary's Alcohol Beverage Board was later told. The bar was ordered shut down for a month after the killing.

According to St. Mary�s Sheriff�s office, Smothers was allegedly with her boyfriend at the time of the murder and that sheriff�s deputies were hunting her for questioning.

A communications breakdown appears to exist among law-enforcement agencies. At the same time St. Mary�s sheriff deputies were spending hours trying to locate Smothers, Maryland State Police Barrack �H� J. Swann arrested Smothers for speeding on the November 20 at 2.45 pm. She was driving at 72 miles per hour in a 50 mile zone on Route 301 northbound, 7 MM.

Deputy Bill Raddatz in his statement of probable cause of arrest said witnesses who are familiar with Livers and Smothers stated that Livers went to Monks Inn to meet with Defendant Smothers. Smothers is said to have told police she received a phone call from Livers when he was on his way to Monks Inn and was with him inside the establishment.

Witnesses allegedly told Sheriff's deputies that just before the murder, Livers and Smothers were talking outside of the mini-van parked at the Monks Inn.

The minivan�s driver was Troy Brawner, and Livers' cousin Marcus Proctor, was with him inside the vehicle. Proctor was arrested on suspicion he was the person who pulled the trigger, but was later freed without commitment.

According to Raddatz, witnesses told police after the shooting, Brawner and defendant picked up Livers at some distance from the Monks Inn.

Smothers admitted Livers then spent the night with her, and the next day she took him to relatives residences in Philadelphia.

Smothers admitted that Livers confessed to shooting Hewlett, according to the sheriff deputy's report.

Later, Smothers allegedly contacted a friend who drove accused Livers to a location in Prince George's County or in Washington DC from Philadelphia.

Detectives came to know about Smothers through witnesses and immediately attempted to locate her.

According to Raddatz, the defendant�s sister was contacted at the address where the defendant was allegedly living, and where Brawner dropped her and Liver off on the night of the shooting, but her sister denied knowing Smothers and allegedly told deputies she never lived at her house.

Detectives went to Smothers home numerous times, listed as 13050 Guy Washington Road, Newburg, without dice.

Raddatz said detectives then contacted her mother who sated she did not know where her daughter was or how to contact her. The mother was told a warrant may be issued for Smothers' arrest and she stated she was a grown-up woman and she could not help what she does.

Finally, on Monday detectives located Smothers, according to Raddatz. �When asked where she was living, she stated she lived at her home of record on her driver�s license. When told we had been there numerous times, she stated it was her address, but she doesn�t stay there,� Raddatz said in statement of probable cause.

Smothers said she was staying with her boyfriend but refused to give police his name or address.

Victim Hewlett and suspect Livers were indicted in the past for drug pushing, but police did not say if the killing was related to drug sales on the bar's territory.  At the time of his arrest, Livers was trying to sneak into Washington DC from Prince George�s County.

St. Mary's Sheriff Tim Cameron and Lt. Daniel Alioto, the officer who conducted the initial investigations but now heads the patrol division, could not immediately be reached for comments.