District Attorney: Mariano Malave Was Killed Over a Pound of Marijuana

Why was 25-year-old Mariano Malave shot dead on Hyde Park Avenue three Fridays ago? Prosecutors say it was a drug deal gone bad.

Charles Reddicks, 18, of Dorchester is being held without bail after being arraigned Friday at West Roxbury District Court, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. His bail on an unrelated shooting case has also been revoked, prosecutors said.

Malave answered the door at his girlfriend's 132 Hyde Park Avenue home to a person with a gun, who shot and killed him.

Prosecutors say that person is Reddicks, who had come to the apartment for a drug deal involving a pound of marijuana.

Assistant District Attorney Daniel Mulhern, who heads District Attorney Dan Conley’s Gang Unit, said Reddicks was arrested based on "witness statements, cellular and telephonic records, and video evidence" which pointed to Malave being shot during a drug deal.

"On April 27, during the course of the day, the defendant Mr. Reddicks was in the process of negotiating the purchase of a pound of marijuana from Mr. Malave," Mulhern said in a press release. "The location of the purchase was 132 Hyde Park Ave. In the course of the transaction, the defendant fired multiple shots, killing Mr. Malave."

The prosecutors' version of events is at odds with the picture painted by family members and Malave's parole officer, who said the young man had put dealing behind him. They pointed to his work at a Home Depot and his enrollment in classes at ITT Tech.

Reddicks is also a suspect in another shooting, this one non-fatal. Prosecutors say he wounded an 18-year-old in the arm in a drive-by shooting. Reddicks returns to court June 5 to face that charge.

Reddicks' next court date in the murder charge against him is June 20. Police report that Reddick is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Universal Hub reports that Reddicks was a senior at Boston Latin School before being expelled in December for the drive-by shooting allegation.

Family and friends of Malave have set up a Facebook group in the slain man's memory.

[Editor's note: The original posting of this story gave the wrong school for Reddicks.]