Suspect arrested in road rage shooting that killed Pennsylvania mom of 6

LUMBERTON, N.C. - A 29-year-old man was arrested in connection to the death of a Pennsylvania mother who was shot and killed through a passenger-side window during a road rage incident in North Carolina, authorities said.

Dejywan R. Floyd, 29, of Lumberton, was arrested early Thursday, according to the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. He was charged with first-degree murder and discharging a weapon into an occupied property.

Julie Eberly, a 47-year-old mother of six from Manheim, Pennsylvania, was driving with her husband, Ryan, on March 25, to celebrate their wedding anniversary on Hilton Head Island, Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said in an initial statement.

Dejywan R. Floyd, 29, is pictured in a provided booking image, alongside a photo of Ryan and Julie Eberly. (Photo credit: Robeson County Sheriff's Office / Eberly family)

While driving in Lumberton shortly before noon, their vehicle came into close contact with another vehicle during a lane merge.

Authorities said the other vehicle driver rolled down his window and fired shots into the Eberlys’ vehicle, with a bullet hitting Julie. First responders arrived on the scene and transported the woman to a local hospital where she died. Ryan was not hurt.

Deputies later shared an image of the suspected getaway car from surveillance footage. A $10,000 reward had been offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspected gunman.

Floyd, who was arrested shortly after 12:30 a.m. local time at an apartment complex in Lumberton, was being held at the Robeson County Detention Center without bond. His first court appearance was scheduled for Thursday morning.

"This was an innocent family from Pennsylvania headed to the beach for a vacation," Wilkins said last week. "Thankfully they had left their six children at home with grandparents but now these kids have to live with the thought of their mother being murdered in such a cowardly and senseless way. My heart goes out to this family and I ask that everyone reading this stop and pray for this entire family."

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help other families and charities that she supported.

"We want to raise funds to honor Julie and her life," a relative posted. "Julie was a beautiful, loving, generous, and giving person. We will be using the funds to help others and to give to the organizations that were close to her heart."

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.

This story was reported from Cincinnati. Chris Williams contributed.

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