Arlington couple charged in fatal shooting of 17-year-old on St. Louis highway

A husband and wife from Arlington are charged in the shooting death of a teenager on a St. Louis highway last week, officials said.

Willie Hernon, 42, is charged with murder and armed criminal action and is held on a $1 million bond. His wife, Taiya Herndon, 45, is charged with hindering prosecution and has a $500,000 bond.

Authorities say the couple pulled over on the side of the highway and shot into 17-year-old Alyssa Wilson's car. The student-athlete was headed to a Halloween event at the zoo. 

She was shot once and killed.

"Alyssa was 17," her father, Robert Hickman, said. "Excited about her life, excited about her future. She had 60 days until she turned 18. And we were getting ready to take our first family vacation together, to go to Disney, for her to see her favorite person in the world, Princess Tiana. And unfortunately, she's not gonna get to do that anymore."

What surveillance footage revealed

Investigators recovered video surveillance from the area of the shooting, which captured video and audio of the incident, and said road rage was not involved, and that it appears that the couple didn't know Wilson.   

According to the report, the suspect vehicle pulled over to the right shoulder of Interstate 170 and turned on its hazard lights. 

"Approximately 40 seconds after stopping, the passenger door of the suspect vehicle opened," the report states. One minute and 33 seconds later, video surveillance captured a person exiting the passenger side of the vehicle and moving around outside. 

Moments later, Wilson's vehicle approaches the area; seconds later, video surveillance captured the "distinct sound of a gunshot." Shortly after the shooting, Wilson's vehicle crashed.

Within two to three seconds of the gunshot, the passenger door of the suspect vehicle closed. The suspect vehicle then pulled back onto Interstate 170, passing the victim, and fleeing the area. 

The next day, Oct. 15, investigators found a cartridge case consistent with a high-powered rifle located in the grass near where the suspect vehicle had parked. Using license plate recognition systems, investigators traced the car to the Herndons at a hotel in Illinois. Although the couple had swapped the vehicle's license plates, an Arkansas Razorbacks logo seen in surveillance footage was still affixed to the rear of the vehicle.

Willie and Taiya Herndon were taken into custody in Caseyville, Illinois, and are awaiting extradition to St. Louis County.

In their hotel room, officials found an ABC-15 rifle with a scope, which was loaded with MaxxTech 23 7.62x39 ammunition, located in plain view on the bed. They also found receipts from a gas station from an exit in the immediate area of the Interstate 170 crime scene, approximately one hour prior to the shooting.

Documents indicative of travel, including parking tickets from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and Delta Air Lines receipts reflecting travel from Utah to Texas.  

Couple has previous charges in multiple states

Willie Herndon has previous separate convictions in Los Angeles, California, for taking a vehicle without consent, possession of a stolen vehicle and stolen property and felony burglary.

He was previously arrested by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office for hindering proceedings by disorderly conduct in August 2026. There is also a theft charge from the North Richland Hills Police.

Taiya Herndon has previously been charged with theft, tampering with evidence and possession of a controlled substance by the North Richland Hills Police Department.

Authorities haven't yet released any details about a possible motive. The investigation is ongoing.