MAN KEEPS COURT DATE ARREST MADE IN SLAYING.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News

LANCASTER -- A murder suspect was arrested Friday morning at the Antelope Valley Courthouse when he appeared for a hearing on an unrelated drug charge.

Willie Charles Williams, a 21-year-old Lancaster man, was jailed in lieu of $3.5 million in bail in the Dec. 22 shooting death of Kenneth Fenix, 39, also of Lancaster.

He also is charged with attempted murder for the shooting of a 12-year-old girl who suffered gunshot wounds to her buttocks in the same incident.

The two were shot at a home in the 45400 block of Sancroft Boulevard in east Lancaster. Fenix was a relative of the residents; the girl lived there.

The incident is believed to be drug- and gang-related, according to Sgt. Randy Seymour, a homicide detective who made the arrest.

Williams was in court for a hearing on a cocaine possession charge.

Seymour said he didn't expect Williams to show up for the hearing, but said he ``would have been remiss if we hadn't gone.''

Seymour strongly believes Williams was aware of the murder charge prosecutors filed on Dec. 29, noting that Williams had in his backpack a copy of a newspaper article reporting murder charges had been filed against him.

``He had to know he was named as a suspect,'' Seymour said.

Seymour said he believes a dispute over a previous drug deal that went bad triggered the incident. He said Williams and Fenix have a history of gang involvement.

``It appears as though there was a conflict or an argument based on previous stuff that was going on,'' Seymour said.

Seymour said the investigation remains open.

He asked that anyone with additional information about the case contact the sheriff's homicide department at [phone].

``We believe others may be involved,'' Seymour said.

[e-mail]

[phone]