15-year-old is charged with murder in the July shooting of a Chicago mail carrier

CHICAGO (AP) — A 15-year-old was arrested in Iowa and charged with murder in the shooting death of a mail carrier in Chicago over the summer, police said Tuesday.

Octavia Redmond, 48, was shot July 19 while walking on Chicago's South Side. A teenager got out of a stolen SUV, approached her and shot her several times at close range before fleeing in the vehicle, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Redmond died in a hospital.

Chicago police said in a news release that their officers, along with U.S. marshals, arrested the teenager on a murder warrant in Cedar Rapids on Monday. He was extradited to Chicago, where he was charged with first-degree murder as a juvenile.

The teen appeared in juvenile court on Tuesday and was taken into custody, the Cook County state's attorney's office said in an email. His next court date is November 1st.

The police said in a post that investigators had also received an anonymous tip about his identity and would be looking for “further criminals,” the authority said.

Police and prosecutors did not respond to questions about whether the teen has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

The Postal Service is offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects.

“When members of our postal family are targeted, postal inspectors will not rest until justice is served on behalf of the victims, their families and our postal community,” Ruth Mendonca, inspector in charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said in a news release Tuesday . “This arrest is the first step in bringing justice to Ms. Redmond. We hope this brings some relief to the Redmond family. As our investigation continues, we maintain our call for the public to come forward with any information that could lead to those responsible continuing to be brought to justice.”