Major Case Squad makes arrest in St. Clair County murder case

A 19-year-old Cahokia Heights man has been charged with first-degree murder for shooting another teenager in his car.

The indictment filed by St. Clair County District Attorney James Gomric charges David Hodges, of the 200 block of Julian Avenue in Cahokia Heights, with the murder of 18-year-old Damonta Mosley.

The Greater St. Louis Major Case Squad was activated to investigate the shooting that occurred in the 2400 block of Renois Lane near Cahokia Heights.

According to Lt. James Hendricks of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 7:19 p.m. on Sept. 9. They found Mosley in a vehicle with at least one gunshot wound, unconscious and out of breath. Mosley was taken to Saint Louis University Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to a news release from the Major Case Squad.

Lt. Shane Brown of the Belleville Police Department led an investigation involving 21 police officers from 16 agencies who followed up on more than 100 leads, according to a news release from the Major Case Squad.

The indictment states that Hodges' release “poses a real and present threat to the safety of every person in the community.”

Hodges used a firearm to shoot Mosley, the document says.