VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Three defendants connected to a deadly shooting along Interstate 264 in Norfolk that killed a 19-year-old woman in July appeared in Virginia Beach General District Court on Thursday, including a third defendant whose alleged involvement in disposing of evidence is detailed in court documents.
News 3 reporter Jay Greene was the only reporter inside the courtroom for Thursday's hearings, where the cases against Asia Wiggins, Jamir Bennett and Malachi Mayo were all continued until Jan. 22, 2027.
The charges stem from a shooting that killed 19-year-old Alexis Styles, who prosecutors previously said was on her way to work when gunfire erupted along I-264.
Thursday marked the first time News 3 saw Mayo appear in court in connection with the case. Mayo is charged with being an accessory after the fact of a homicide.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by News 3, Mayo was identified by Wiggins, another defendant in the case, as the person who was clearing out the front passenger area of a vehicle following the shooting.
Court records state Mayo was seen throwing a black backpack into a trash can at a car wash in Virginia Beach.
When Virginia State Police searched the trash can, investigators recovered three spent shell casings and two unspent cartridges that authorities say matched ammunition evidence recovered from the shooting scene along I-264.
The car wash, located near Holland Road and South Plaza Trail, became a key location in the investigation after surveillance footage captured people discarding items from a vehicle believed to have been involved in the incident.
Wiggins, 20, also appeared in court Thursday. She was out of custody during the hearing and is charged with being an accessory after the fact of a homicide.
Bennett, 19, appeared in court while in custody. He faces a charge of being an accessory after the fact of a homicide, along with possession of a firearm by a convicted violent felon.
During Bennett's hearing, the Commonwealth told the court prosecutors are still awaiting additional evidence related to the firearm involved in the investigation, as well as information from Flock license plate reader cameras.
All three cases were continued until Jan. 22.
The investigation began in July when Virginia State Police responded to a reported shooting along eastbound I-264 between Campostella Road and Ballentine Boulevard in Norfolk around 4 a.m.
Investigators said Styles was riding in a burgundy Nissan sedan driven by a 39-year-old man when someone opened fire on the vehicle.
Styles died from her injuries, while the driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
During an earlier court hearing, prosecutors revealed Styles had been on her way to work when she was shot and killed.
Court documents previously obtained by News 3 describe how Flock license plate reader cameras captured a purple Lexus sedan following the victims' vehicle from their neighborhood onto I-264.
Investigators later tracked the Lexus to the Virginia Beach car wash, where surveillance footage showed Wiggins and two men throwing away items from the vehicle.
According to those documents, witnesses reported seeing Wiggins and Bennett place a black semiautomatic handgun inside a DC shoe box.
Bennett later admitted to holding the shoe box but told investigators he did not look inside, according to court records.
Investigators also searched Wiggins' home, where Bennett reportedly sometimes stayed. During that search, police recovered a DC shoe box containing ammunition and a firearm inside a bathroom toilet, according to court documents.
Wiggins previously admitted to cleaning the vehicle but denied taking part in the shooting, according to court records.
Both Wiggins and Bennett were initially denied bond during earlier court proceedings. At the time, a judge cited concerns that Wiggins could be a flight risk, while Bennett's criminal history and concerns about potential obstruction were raised during his bond hearing.
Wiggins appeared out of custody during Thursday's hearing, while Bennett remained in custody.
The three defendants are scheduled to return to Virginia Beach General District Court on Jan. 22, 2027, as prosecutors continue working to obtain outstanding evidence in the case.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact Virginia State Police at 757-424-6850 or questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
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