Suspect in 4 slayings surrenders to police

(AP) - The suspect in the slayings of fourpeople found in a burning house last week surrendered to police Saturday. Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Paul Loriquet saidRolando "Rat Man" Terrell

News 12 Staff

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Sep 13, 2008, 10:46 PM

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Updated 5,951 days ago

(AP) - The suspect in the slayings of fourpeople found in a burning house last week surrendered to police Saturday.

Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Paul Loriquet saidRolando "Rat Man" Terrell turned himself in to Irvington policelate Saturday morning.

Terrell is accused of shooting four women in a house on theIrvington-Newark border last Monday, then setting the house on fireto cover up the crime.

He faces murder and weapons charges and will be held at theEssex County Jail on $2 million bail. His arraignment is scheduledfor next Wednesday.

Terrell was accompanied by his attorney, Michael Robbins, whosaid his client will plead not guilty.

"When brought before the court next week, he plans to enter hisplea of not guilty, because that is the fact," Robbins said.

Killed in the attack were 40-year-old Candes McLean, who rentedthe apartment where the killings occurred, and her 18-year-olddaughter, Talia.

McLean's stepdaughter, 13-year-old Latrisha Fields-Carruthers,and 18-year-old niece Zakiyyah Jones also were slain.

Investigators have said the killings were drug- and possiblygang-related, and that Terrell knew Candes McLean. They also havesaid others may have been involved, but have not named anyadditional suspects.

Candes McLean lived at the Irvington home with Talia McLean andFields-Carruthers, and Jones lived at a Newark address, EssexCounty Prosecutor Paula Dow said at a news conference Friday.

A fifth woman, whom police did not identify, survived the attackand fled the home carrying Talia McLean's 14-month-old son. Thetoddler was unharmed and was placed with relatives.

Neighbors said they heard an argument and gunshots before thefire broke out at about 7:30 a.m. Three people living on the secondfloor and a man living on the third floor escaped the fireuninjured.

The killings happened in a neighborhood that borders Newark andis less than a mile from where three college-bound friends wereslain execution-style in a school playground last year.